Main Page

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== Welcome to {{SITENAME}}! ==
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=== For a visitor of this wiki ===
Hello, the default Main Page of this wiki (this is the default Main Page) has not been replaced yet by the bureaucrat(s) of this wiki. The bureaucrat(s) might still be working on a Main Page, so please check this page again later!</text>
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    <text bytes="1047" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''Miajwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MIAJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.</text>
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    <text bytes="1240" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''Miajwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MIAJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

[[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]]  &lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</text>
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    <text bytes="1306" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''Miajwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MIAJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ States  &lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</text>
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  <title>Al-Andalus</title>
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    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vanals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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    <comment>Framework of history + culture and naturalism(science) + demographics + languages</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
{{Main|Visigothic Kingdom}}
====Umayyad Caliphate====
{{Main|Umayyad Caliphate}}
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
{{Main|Umayyad Emirate}}
====Saqlabid Emirate====
{{Main|Saqlabid Emirate}}
====Hizamid Emirate====
{{Main|Hizamid Emirate}}
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
{{Main|Asmarid Empire}}

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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    <comment>/* History */</comment>
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    <text bytes="1850" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* History */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="1874" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
{{Main|Asmarid Empire}}

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-18T06:52:20Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Asmarid Empire */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1850" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Provided text behind Roman and Visigothic periods before Al-Andalus</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the Battle of Guadalete, the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Andalus.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the Battle of Guadalete, the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>23dd7b2113004a2da508d5e999f119d16b564da8</sha1>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the Battle of Guadalete, the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>586673c7491aba9afb20f8167d6234fb4b150ddf</sha1>
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  <revision>
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      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the Battle of Guadalete, the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>5737de87f0ca36ca6d2ad688b25e04bbfbd09a13</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-18T09:08:43Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Summary of the Umayyad Caliphate period of Al-Andalus before POD</comment>
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    <text bytes="5408" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>f2366adc87dd2ae2c9da8adedcce34125ea01b6b</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>42</id>
    <parentid>40</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T10:38:34Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>History of the Asmarid Empire</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="8281" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili and Qurtuba to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>98ee5072b2d2914716798a7c620ca5111d464ca8</sha1>
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<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>List of de facto rulers of Al-Andalus</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>4</id>
  <revision>
    <id>4</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-06T20:54:26Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.  {| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2" |- !..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="3323" xml:space="preserve">This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Emirs of Córdoba'''
|-
! Ruler
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman I
| 756
| 788
| Challenged by Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763) and Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham I
| 788 
| 796
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam I
| 796
| 822
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II
| 822
| 852
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad I
| 852 
| 886
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mundhir
| 886
| 888
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abdallah ibn Muhammad
| 888
| 912
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 912
| 929
| From 929 as Caliph
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Caliphs'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 929
| 961
| Following the declaration of Caliphate
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam II
| 961
| 16 October 976
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham II
| 16 October 976
| 5 March 1018
| With Al-Mughira ibn Abd ar-Rahman as ''hajib''/regent to 1007; opposed by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Hajar and Muhammad ibn Abi Aamir al-Ma'afiri to 996
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman IV ibn Hisham
| 5 March 1018
| 9 February 1021
| Assassinated by the eunuch Ragad
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Muntasir (Hayyan ibn Hisham II)
| 9 February 1021
| Winter 1053
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ar-Rashid (Muhammad ibn Al-Muntasir)
| Winter 1053
| 1060
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib'' to 1059 and Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' thereafter; opposed by Harun ibn Qays and 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Ali al-Hammudi; assassinated by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur (Abdullah II ibn Muhammad)
| 1060
| 
| With Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' regnant; opposed by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Saqlabid Amirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf al-Saqlabi
| 1062
| 27 April 1097
| Representing Caliph Abdullah II
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'ayyad al-Din ('Ayyash ibn Wahb)
| 27 April 1097
| 5 March 1114
| Representing Caliphs Abdullah II (to 1103) Hisham III (to 1109), Abd ar-Rahman V (to 1112) and Al-Najib
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shams al-Din (al-Hakam ibn Hassan)
| 5 March 1114
| 22 July 1116
| Grandson of Mu'ayyad al-Din; representing Caliph Al-Najib; killed on campaign against [[Guillermo del Toro]] after being shot in the chest
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Saif al-Din (Mujahid ibn Dalibur)
| 3 February 1117
| 14 March 1145
| First Daliburid ''hajib'', achieving office following a power struggle; representing Caliphs Al-Najib (to 1128) and Muhammad III; overthrown and dies in prison
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'izz al-Din (Aamir ibn Dalibur)
| 23 March 1145
| 19 November 1152
| Brother of Saif al-Din; chosen by intercession of Caliph Muhammad III
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Musharraf al-Din (Bakr ibn Mahmud)
| 19 November 1152
| 
| Nephew of Mu'izz al-Din
|-

|}</text>
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  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>5</id>
    <parentid>4</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-06T23:53:28Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>216.121.147.237</username>
      <id>0</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="4644" xml:space="preserve">This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Emirs of Córdoba'''
|-
! Ruler
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman I
| 756
| 788
| Challenged by Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763) and Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham I
| 788 
| 796
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam I
| 796
| 822
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II
| 822
| 852
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad I
| 852 
| 886
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mundhir
| 886
| 888
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abdallah ibn Muhammad
| 888
| 912
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 912
| 929
| From 929 as Caliph
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Caliphs'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 929
| 961
| Following the declaration of Caliphate
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam II
| 961
| 16 October 976
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham II
| 16 October 976
| 5 March 1018
| With Al-Mughira ibn Abd ar-Rahman as ''hajib''/regent to 1007; opposed by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Hajar and Muhammad ibn Abi Aamir al-Ma'afiri to 996
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman IV ibn Hisham
| 5 March 1018
| 9 February 1021
| Assassinated by the eunuch Ragad
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Muntasir (Hayyan ibn Hisham II)
| 9 February 1021
| Winter 1053
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ar-Rashid (Muhammad ibn Al-Muntasir)
| Winter 1053
| 1060
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib'' to 1059 and Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' thereafter; opposed by Harun ibn Qays and 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Ali al-Hammudi; assassinated by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur (Abdullah II ibn Muhammad)
| 1060
| 
| With Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' regnant; opposed by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Saqlabid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf al-Saqlabi
| 1062
| 27 April 1097
| Representing Caliph Abdullah II
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'ayyad al-Din ('Ayyash ibn Wahb)
| 27 April 1097
| 5 March 1114
| Representing Caliphs Abdullah II (to 1103) Hisham III (to 1109), Abd ar-Rahman V (to 1112) and Al-Najib
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shams al-Din (al-Hakam ibn Hassan)
| 5 March 1114
| 22 July 1116
| Grandson of Mu'ayyad al-Din; representing Caliph Al-Najib; killed on campaign against [[Guillermo del Toro]] after being shot in the chest
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Saif al-Din (Mujahid ibn Dalibur)
| 3 February 1117
| 14 March 1145
| First Daliburid ''hajib'', achieving office following a power struggle; representing Caliphs Al-Najib (to 1128) and Muhammad III; overthrown and dies in prison
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'izz al-Din (Aamir ibn Dalibur)
| 23 March 1145
| 19 November 1152
| Brother of Saif al-Din; chosen by intercession of Caliph Muhammad III
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Musharraf al-Din (Bakr ibn Mahmud)
| 19 November 1152
| 27 February 1174
| Nephew of Mu'izz al-Din
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nur al-Din (Mujahid ibn Bakr)
| 27 February 1174
| 4 September 1179
| Son of Musharraf al-Din; dies prematurely of dysentery
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hakam ibn Musharraf al-Din
| 4 September 1179
| 18 May 1180
| Brother of Nur al-Din; dies of an unspecified illness
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Sa'd al-Din (Mu'adh ibn Talib)
| 20 May 1180
| 12 May 1228
| Cousin of Nur al-Din; known for his love of cats, for introducing coffee to al-Andalus and for ruling during and after the Great Plague
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Rukn al-Din (Asbag ibn Mu'adh)
| 12 May 1228
| July 2, 1230
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; overthrown in a palace coup in favour of his brother
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nasir al-Din (Bahar ibn Mu'adh)
| July 2, 1230
| March 11, 1235
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; dies prematurely of a stroke
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Fahr al-Din (Muhammad ibn Bahar)
| March 11, 1235
| April 13, 1246
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Hizamid Emirate'''
|-


|}


[[Category:Lists of Rulers]][[Category:Al-Andalus]]</text>
    <sha1>65b7ba05ba855a07f22ef587ce77287835385d68</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>6</id>
    <parentid>5</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T00:20:24Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>216.121.147.237</username>
      <id>0</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="7307" xml:space="preserve">This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Emirs of Córdoba'''
|-
! Ruler
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman I
| 756
| 788
| Challenged by Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763) and Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham I
| 788 
| 796
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam I
| 796
| 822
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II
| 822
| 852
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad I
| 852 
| 886
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mundhir
| 886
| 888
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abdallah ibn Muhammad
| 888
| 912
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 912
| 929
| From 929 as Caliph
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Caliphs'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 929
| 961
| Following the declaration of Caliphate
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam II
| 961
| 16 October 976
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham II
| 16 October 976
| 5 March 1018
| With Al-Mughira ibn Abd ar-Rahman as ''hajib''/regent to 1007; opposed by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Hajar and Muhammad ibn Abi Aamir al-Ma'afiri to 996
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman IV ibn Hisham
| 5 March 1018
| 9 February 1021
| Assassinated by the eunuch Ragad
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Muntasir (Hayyan ibn Hisham II)
| 9 February 1021
| Winter 1053
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ar-Rashid (Muhammad ibn Al-Muntasir)
| Winter 1053
| 1060
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib'' to 1059 and Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' thereafter; opposed by Harun ibn Qays and 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Ali al-Hammudi; assassinated by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur (Abdullah II ibn Muhammad)
| 1060
| 
| With Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' regnant; opposed by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Saqlabid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf al-Saqlabi
| 1062
| 27 April 1097
| Representing Caliph Abdullah II
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'ayyad al-Din ('Ayyash ibn Wahb)
| 27 April 1097
| 5 March 1114
| Representing Caliphs Abdullah II (to 1103) Hisham III (to 1109), Abd ar-Rahman V (to 1112) and Al-Najib
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shams al-Din (al-Hakam ibn Hassan)
| 5 March 1114
| 22 July 1116
| Grandson of Mu'ayyad al-Din; representing Caliph Al-Najib; killed on campaign against [[Guillermo del Toro]] after being shot in the chest
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Saif al-Din (Mujahid ibn Dalibur)
| 3 February 1117
| 14 March 1145
| First Daliburid ''hajib'', achieving office following a power struggle; representing Caliphs Al-Najib (to 1128) and Muhammad III; overthrown and dies in prison
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'izz al-Din (Aamir ibn Dalibur)
| 23 March 1145
| 19 November 1152
| Brother of Saif al-Din; chosen by intercession of Caliph Muhammad III
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Musharraf al-Din (Bakr ibn Mahmud)
| 19 November 1152
| 27 February 1174
| Nephew of Mu'izz al-Din
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nur al-Din (Mujahid ibn Bakr)
| 27 February 1174
| 4 September 1179
| Son of Musharraf al-Din; dies prematurely of dysentery
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hakam ibn Musharraf al-Din
| 4 September 1179
| 18 May 1180
| Brother of Nur al-Din; dies of an unspecified illness
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Sa'd al-Din (Mu'adh ibn Talib)
| 20 May 1180
| 12 May 1228
| Cousin of Nur al-Din; known for his love of cats, for introducing coffee to al-Andalus and for ruling during and after the Great Plague
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Rukn al-Din (Asbag ibn Mu'adh)
| 12 May 1228
| 2 July 1230
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; overthrown in a palace coup in favour of his brother
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nasir al-Din (Bahar ibn Mu'adh)
| 2 July 1230
| 11 March 1235
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; dies prematurely of a stroke
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Fahr al-Din (Muhammad ibn Bahar)
| 11 March 1235
| 13 April 1246
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Hizamid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
| 13 April 1246
| 29 January 1274
| The first Andalusi ''hajib''; reunifies Al-Andalus following the incompetent rule of Fahr al-Din and the subsequent ''fitna''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rashid ibn Jafar
| 29 January  1274
| 8 August 1326
| Grandson of Al-Hasan
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rashid
| 8 August 1326
| 20 August 1326
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid; killed by his brother Gharsiya in a succession struggle, only for Gharsiya to be killed in the same battle
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Husayn ibn al-Hakam
| 20 August 1326
| 17 March 1371
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid's scholastically-inclined firstborn, backed by Caliph Al-Mustanjid and the Black Guard; the first ''hajib'' to oversee contact with the Gharb al-Aqsa
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Husayn
| 17 March 1371
| 25 November 1379
| Son of Husayn; his own son Abd ar-Rahman effectively runs things; sends the first emissaries from al-Andalus to China
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman the Seafarer&lt;br&gt;(Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad)
| 25 November 1379
| 10 June 1433
| Son of Muhammad; wins the decisive Battle of Barghusa during the War of Navarrese Succession and signs the Treaty of Xavier before going on to oversee a silver age in al-Andalus
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur ibn Abd ar-Rahman
| 10 June 1433
| 17 April 1437
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II ibn Al-Mansur
| 17 June 1437
| 23 October 1437
| Son of Al-Mansur; assassinated in the midst of a power struggle with the merchant class
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur
| 23 October 1437
| July 4, 1447
| Son of Al-Mansur; dies after being treated for gonorrhea with mercury
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu-Bakr ibn Suleyman
| July 4, 1447
| 1448
| Comes to power at the age of 10
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd al-Qadir al-Siddiq
| 1448
| 1449
| A distant Hizamid cousin propped up as a pretender ''hajib'' by the merchant class
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Asmarid Empire'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr
| February 1449
| Ongoing
| The ''malik'' of Morocco; invited to stabilize al-Andalus as ''hajib'' by Caliph Al-Mustamsik; completes the annexation of Santiago and Navarre and the consolidation of the entire Iberian Peninsula into the combined Andalusian-Maghrebi realm
|-


|}


[[Category:Lists of Rulers]][[Category:Al-Andalus]]</text>
    <sha1>1d57c5e422a3746ce7c7c9fece4b81685d205b17</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>7</id>
    <parentid>6</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T00:27:26Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="7307" xml:space="preserve">This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Emirs of Córdoba'''
|-
! Ruler
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman I
| 756
| 788
| Challenged by Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763) and Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham I
| 788 
| 796
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam I
| 796
| 822
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II
| 822
| 852
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad I
| 852 
| 886
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mundhir
| 886
| 888
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abdallah ibn Muhammad
| 888
| 912
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 912
| 929
| From 929 as Caliph
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Caliphs'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 929
| 961
| Following the declaration of Caliphate
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam II
| 961
| 16 October 976
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham II
| 16 October 976
| 5 March 1018
| With Al-Mughira ibn Abd ar-Rahman as ''hajib''/regent to 1007; opposed by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Hajar and Muhammad ibn Abi Aamir al-Ma'afiri to 996
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman IV ibn Hisham
| 5 March 1018
| 9 February 1021
| Assassinated by the eunuch Ragad
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Muntasir (Hayyan ibn Hisham II)
| 9 February 1021
| Winter 1053
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ar-Rashid (Muhammad ibn Al-Muntasir)
| Winter 1053
| 1060
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib'' to 1059 and Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' thereafter; opposed by Harun ibn Qays and 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Ali al-Hammudi; assassinated by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur (Abdullah II ibn Muhammad)
| 1060
| 
| With Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' regnant; opposed by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Saqlabid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf al-Saqlabi
| 1062
| 27 April 1097
| Representing Caliph Abdullah II
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'ayyad al-Din ('Ayyash ibn Wahb)
| 27 April 1097
| 5 March 1114
| Representing Caliphs Abdullah II (to 1103) Hisham III (to 1109), Abd ar-Rahman V (to 1112) and Al-Najib
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shams al-Din (al-Hakam ibn Hassan)
| 5 March 1114
| 22 July 1116
| Grandson of Mu'ayyad al-Din; representing Caliph Al-Najib; killed on campaign against [[Guillermo del Toro]] after being shot in the chest
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Saif al-Din (Mujahid ibn Dalibur)
| 3 February 1117
| 14 March 1145
| First Daliburid ''hajib'', achieving office following a power struggle; representing Caliphs Al-Najib (to 1128) and Muhammad III; overthrown and dies in prison
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'izz al-Din (Aamir ibn Dalibur)
| 23 March 1145
| 19 November 1152
| Brother of Saif al-Din; chosen by intercession of Caliph Muhammad III
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Musharraf al-Din (Bakr ibn Mahmud)
| 19 November 1152
| 27 February 1174
| Nephew of Mu'izz al-Din
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nur al-Din (Mujahid ibn Bakr)
| 27 February 1174
| 4 September 1179
| Son of Musharraf al-Din; dies prematurely of dysentery
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hakam ibn Musharraf al-Din
| 4 September 1179
| 18 May 1180
| Brother of Nur al-Din; dies of an unspecified illness
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Sa'd al-Din (Mu'adh ibn Talib)
| 20 May 1180
| 12 May 1228
| Cousin of Nur al-Din; known for his love of cats, for introducing coffee to al-Andalus and for ruling during and after the Great Plague
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Rukn al-Din (Asbag ibn Mu'adh)
| 12 May 1228
| 2 July 1230
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; overthrown in a palace coup in favour of his brother
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nasir al-Din (Bahar ibn Mu'adh)
| 2 July 1230
| 11 March 1235
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; dies prematurely of a stroke
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Fahr al-Din (Muhammad ibn Bahar)
| 11 March 1235
| 13 April 1246
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Hizamid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
| 13 April 1246
| 29 January 1274
| The first Andalusi ''hajib''; reunifies Al-Andalus following the incompetent rule of Fahr al-Din and the subsequent ''fitna''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rashid ibn Jafar
| 29 January  1274
| 8 August 1326
| Grandson of Al-Hasan
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rashid
| 8 August 1326
| 20 August 1326
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid; killed by his brother Gharsiya in a succession struggle, only for Gharsiya to be killed in the same battle
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Husayn ibn al-Hakam
| 20 August 1326
| 17 March 1371
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid's scholastically-inclined firstborn, backed by Caliph Al-Mustanjid and the Black Guard; the first ''hajib'' to oversee contact with the Gharb al-Aqsa
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Husayn
| 17 March 1371
| 25 November 1379
| Son of Husayn; his own son Abd ar-Rahman effectively runs things; sends the first emissaries from al-Andalus to China
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman the Seafarer&lt;br&gt;(Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad)
| 25 November 1379
| 10 June 1433
| Son of Muhammad; wins the decisive Battle of Barghusa during the War of Navarrese Succession and signs the Treaty of Xavier before going on to oversee a silver age in al-Andalus
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur ibn Abd ar-Rahman
| 10 June 1433
| 17 April 1437
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II ibn Al-Mansur
| 17 June 1437
| 23 October 1437
| Son of Al-Mansur; assassinated in the midst of a power struggle with the merchant class
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur
| 23 October 1437
| July 4, 1447
| Son of Al-Mansur; dies after being treated for gonorrhea with mercury
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu-Bakr ibn Suleyman
| July 4, 1447
| 1448
| Comes to power at the age of 10
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd al-Qadir al-Siddiq
| 1448
| 1449
| A distant Hizamid cousin propped up as a pretender ''hajib'' by the merchant class
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Asmarid Empire'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr
| February 1449
| Ongoing
| The ''malik'' of Morocco; invited to stabilize al-Andalus as ''hajib'' by Caliph Al-Mustamsik; completes the annexation of Santiago and Navarre and the consolidation of the entire Iberian Peninsula into the combined Andalusian-Maghrebi realm
|-


|}


[[Category:Lists of rulers]][[Category:Al-Andalus]]</text>
    <sha1>c0df3e2b5c739611e67205de1a5b52144e568ccc</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>13</id>
    <parentid>7</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T16:49:11Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="7310" xml:space="preserve">This list covers all ''de facto'' rulers of al-Andalus following 711 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Emirs of Córdoba'''
|-
! Ruler
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman I
| 756
| 788
| Challenged by Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763) and Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham I
| 788 
| 796
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam I
| 796
| 822
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II
| 822
| 852
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad I
| 852 
| 886
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mundhir
| 886
| 888
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abdallah ibn Muhammad
| 888
| 912
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 912
| 929
| From 929 as Caliph
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Umayyad Caliphs'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman III
| 929
| 961
| Following the declaration of Caliphate
|-
! style="text-align:left" | al-Hakam II
| 961
| 16 October 976
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hisham II
| 16 October 976
| 5 March 1018
| With Al-Mughira ibn Abd ar-Rahman as ''hajib''/regent to 1007; opposed by Abdallah ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Hajar and Muhammad ibn Abi Aamir al-Ma'afiri to 996
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman IV ibn Hisham
| 5 March 1018
| 9 February 1021
| Assassinated by the eunuch Ragad
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Muntasir (Hayyan ibn Hisham II)
| 9 February 1021
| Winter 1053
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ar-Rashid (Muhammad ibn Al-Muntasir)
| Winter 1053
| 1060
| With Muhammad al-Azraq as ''hajib'' to 1059 and Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' thereafter; opposed by Harun ibn Qays and 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Ali al-Hammudi; assassinated by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur (Abdullah II ibn Muhammad)
| 1060
| 
| With Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf as ''hajib'' regnant; opposed by Abd al-Malik ibn Al-Muntasir
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Saqlabid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Wahb ibn Safyatuslaf al-Saqlabi
| 1062
| 27 April 1097
| Representing Caliph Abdullah II
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'ayyad al-Din ('Ayyash ibn Wahb)
| 27 April 1097
| 5 March 1114
| Representing Caliphs Abdullah II (to 1103) Hisham III (to 1109), Abd ar-Rahman V (to 1112) and Al-Najib
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shams al-Din (al-Hakam ibn Hassan)
| 5 March 1114
| 22 July 1116
| Grandson of Mu'ayyad al-Din; representing Caliph Al-Najib; killed on campaign against [[Guillermo del Toro]] after being shot in the chest
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Saif al-Din (Mujahid ibn Dalibur)
| 3 February 1117
| 14 March 1145
| First Daliburid ''hajib'', achieving office following a power struggle; representing Caliphs Al-Najib (to 1128) and Muhammad III; overthrown and dies in prison
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Mu'izz al-Din (Aamir ibn Dalibur)
| 23 March 1145
| 19 November 1152
| Brother of Saif al-Din; chosen by intercession of Caliph Muhammad III
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Musharraf al-Din (Bakr ibn Mahmud)
| 19 November 1152
| 27 February 1174
| Nephew of Mu'izz al-Din
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nur al-Din (Mujahid ibn Bakr)
| 27 February 1174
| 4 September 1179
| Son of Musharraf al-Din; dies prematurely of dysentery
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hakam ibn Musharraf al-Din
| 4 September 1179
| 18 May 1180
| Brother of Nur al-Din; dies of an unspecified illness
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Sa'd al-Din (Mu'adh ibn Talib)
| 20 May 1180
| 12 May 1228
| Cousin of Nur al-Din; known for his love of cats, for introducing coffee to al-Andalus and for ruling during and after the Great Plague
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Rukn al-Din (Asbag ibn Mu'adh)
| 12 May 1228
| 2 July 1230
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; overthrown in a palace coup in favour of his brother
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Nasir al-Din (Bahar ibn Mu'adh)
| 2 July 1230
| 11 March 1235
| Son of Sa'd al-Din; dies prematurely of a stroke
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Fahr al-Din (Muhammad ibn Bahar)
| 11 March 1235
| 13 April 1246
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Hizamid Emirate'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
| 13 April 1246
| 29 January 1274
| The first Andalusi ''hajib''; reunifies Al-Andalus following the incompetent rule of Fahr al-Din and the subsequent ''fitna''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rashid ibn Jafar
| 29 January  1274
| 8 August 1326
| Grandson of Al-Hasan
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rashid
| 8 August 1326
| 20 August 1326
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid; killed by his brother Gharsiya in a succession struggle, only for Gharsiya to be killed in the same battle
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Husayn ibn al-Hakam
| 20 August 1326
| 17 March 1371
| Son of Abd ar-Rashid's scholastically-inclined firstborn, backed by Caliph Al-Mustanjid and the Black Guard; the first ''hajib'' to oversee contact with the Gharb al-Aqsa
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Muhammad ibn Husayn
| 17 March 1371
| 25 November 1379
| Son of Husayn; his own son Abd ar-Rahman effectively runs things; sends the first emissaries from al-Andalus to China
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman the Seafarer&lt;br&gt;(Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad)
| 25 November 1379
| 10 June 1433
| Son of Muhammad; wins the decisive Battle of Barghusa during the War of Navarrese Succession and signs the Treaty of Xavier before going on to oversee a silver age in al-Andalus
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Al-Mansur ibn Abd ar-Rahman
| 10 June 1433
| 17 April 1437
| Son of Nasir al-Din, appointed at 12 under the regency of Gharsiya ibn Bilayu to 1241; reputed to be a tyrant, ultimately declared a ''kafir'' by Caliph Al-Musta'in and replaced by Al-Hasan ibn Hizam
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd ar-Rahman II ibn Al-Mansur
| 17 June 1437
| 23 October 1437
| Son of Al-Mansur; assassinated in the midst of a power struggle with the merchant class
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur
| 23 October 1437
| July 4, 1447
| Son of Al-Mansur; dies after being treated for gonorrhea with mercury
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu-Bakr ibn Suleyman
| July 4, 1447
| 1448
| Comes to power at the age of 10
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abd al-Qadir al-Siddiq
| 1448
| 1449
| A distant Hizamid cousin propped up as a pretender ''hajib'' by the merchant class
|-
! style="font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="4" | '''Ruling ''hajibs'' of the Asmarid Empire'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr
| February 1449
| Ongoing
| The ''malik'' of al-Maghrib; invited to stabilize al-Andalus as ''hajib'' by Caliph Al-Mustamsik; completes the annexation of Santiago and Navarre and the consolidation of the entire Iberian Peninsula into the combined Andalusian-Maghrebi realm
|-


|}


[[Category:Lists of rulers]][[Category:Al-Andalus]]</text>
    <sha1>03c09b87d775800dd3d656be708f0b1d692a07c2</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>List of Popes</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>5</id>
  <revision>
    <id>8</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T02:21:40Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2" |- ! # ! Regnal name ! Birth name ! From ! To ! Notes |- | 135 ! Benedict VII |..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2762" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! #
! Regnal name
! Birth name
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
| 135
! Benedict VII
| 
| October 974
| 10 July 983
| 
|-
| 136
! John XIV
| Pietro Canepanova
| December 983
| 24 August 984
| 
|-
| 137
! John XV
| 
| October 974
| June 997
| 
|-
| --
! ''John XIV''
| Ioannes Philagathos
| June 997
| 3 March 998
| Later recognized as an antipope; executed on the order of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 138
! Sylvester II
| Heribert of Worms
| March 998
| 3 February 1007
| Affirmed by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III; eventually driven out of Rome by the anti-Ottonian faction, imprisoned by John Crescentius and left to die in the gaol
|-
| 139
! John XVII
| Giovanni Fasano
| 9 February 1007
| 19 July 1010
| Candidate of the Crescentii; is numbered XVII because John XIV was not recognized as an antipope until much later
|-
| 140
! Sergius IV
| Pietro Martino Buccoporci
| July 1010
| 28 May 1011
| A Roman who acted as a puppet of the Crescentii
|-
| 141
! Sergius V
| Bernward of Hildesheim
| 30 May 1011
| 13 October 1023
| Candidate of Holy Roman Empress Zoe and the Tusculani; a scientific pope who embraced Cnut the Rich as King of Angland and affirmed the Christianity of the Danish monarchs
|-
| 142
! John XVIII
| Gianmarco Mastropiero
| 26 October 1023
| 2 April 1036
| 
|-
| 143
! Benedict VIII
| Villano of Brescia
| 12 April 1036
| 21 February 1042
| 
|-
| 144
! Innocent II
| Gephard of Mainz
| 27 February 1042
| 6 June 1042
| 
|-
| 145
! Innocent III
| Adalbert of Magdeburg
| 27 June 1042
| 18 May 1047
| 
|-
| 146
! Clement III
| Ildebrando Scudoverde
| 28 May 1047
| 4 September 1054
| Candidate of Count Theophylact of Tusculum; considered "the most evil man ever to sit upon the Throne of St. Peter" by Heidrich of Liesborn; overthrown by a popular uprising and jailed by the Holy Roman Emperor
|-
| 147
! John XIX
| Bruno
| 8 September 1054
| 5 May 1056
| Personal chaplain of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 148
! Benedict IX
| Conrad of Passau
| 14 May 1056
| 18 November 1067
| Opposed by Antipope Innocent IV
|-
| 149
! Marinus III
| Hermann of Aachen
| 25 November 1067
| 14 March 1078
| 
|-
| 150
! John XX
| 
| March 1078
| June 1082
| 
|-
| 151
! Urban II
| Amalric of Cambrai
| June 1082
| April 1094
| The Roman candidate and an anti-Imperial reformer; opposed by Antipope John XXI (Hunoald)
|-
| 152
! Benedict X
| Pons de Tolosa
| April 1094
| 10 July 983
| The first Provencal pope and Urban II's close follower; opposed by Antipope John XXI; performs the Great Deposition, excommunicating Holy Roman Emperor Hermann and declaring him deposed as both King and Emperor
|-


|}

[[Lists of rulers]][[Catholic Church]][[Papal States]]</text>
    <sha1>589556494563b16760d052d9636fb581819ed09a</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>9</id>
    <parentid>8</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T02:22:52Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2789" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! #
! Regnal name
! Birth name
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
| 135
! Benedict VII
| 
| October 974
| 10 July 983
| 
|-
| 136
! John XIV
| Pietro Canepanova
| December 983
| 24 August 984
| 
|-
| 137
! John XV
| 
| October 974
| June 997
| 
|-
| --
! ''John XIV''
| Ioannes Philagathos
| June 997
| 3 March 998
| Later recognized as an antipope; executed on the order of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 138
! Sylvester II
| Heribert of Worms
| March 998
| 3 February 1007
| Affirmed by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III; eventually driven out of Rome by the anti-Ottonian faction, imprisoned by John Crescentius and left to die in the gaol
|-
| 139
! John XVII
| Giovanni Fasano
| 9 February 1007
| 19 July 1010
| Candidate of the Crescentii; is numbered XVII because John XIV was not recognized as an antipope until much later
|-
| 140
! Sergius IV
| Pietro Martino Buccoporci
| July 1010
| 28 May 1011
| A Roman who acted as a puppet of the Crescentii
|-
| 141
! Sergius V
| Bernward of Hildesheim
| 30 May 1011
| 13 October 1023
| Candidate of Holy Roman Empress Zoe and the Tusculani; a scientific pope who embraced Cnut the Rich as King of Angland and affirmed the Christianity of the Danish monarchs
|-
| 142
! John XVIII
| Gianmarco Mastropiero
| 26 October 1023
| 2 April 1036
| 
|-
| 143
! Benedict VIII
| Villano of Brescia
| 12 April 1036
| 21 February 1042
| 
|-
| 144
! Innocent II
| Gephard of Mainz
| 27 February 1042
| 6 June 1042
| 
|-
| 145
! Innocent III
| Adalbert of Magdeburg
| 27 June 1042
| 18 May 1047
| 
|-
| 146
! Clement III
| Ildebrando Scudoverde
| 28 May 1047
| 4 September 1054
| Candidate of Count Theophylact of Tusculum; considered "the most evil man ever to sit upon the Throne of St. Peter" by Heidrich of Liesborn; overthrown by a popular uprising and jailed by the Holy Roman Emperor
|-
| 147
! John XIX
| Bruno
| 8 September 1054
| 5 May 1056
| Personal chaplain of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 148
! Benedict IX
| Conrad of Passau
| 14 May 1056
| 18 November 1067
| Opposed by Antipope Innocent IV
|-
| 149
! Marinus III
| Hermann of Aachen
| 25 November 1067
| 14 March 1078
| 
|-
| 150
! John XX
| 
| March 1078
| June 1082
| 
|-
| 151
! Urban II
| Amalric of Cambrai
| June 1082
| April 1094
| The Roman candidate and an anti-Imperial reformer; opposed by Antipope John XXI (Hunoald)
|-
| 152
! Benedict X
| Pons de Tolosa
| April 1094
| 10 July 983
| The first Provencal pope and Urban II's close follower; opposed by Antipope John XXI; performs the Great Deposition, excommunicating Holy Roman Emperor Hermann and declaring him deposed as both King and Emperor
|-


|}

[[Category:Lists of rulers]][[Category:Catholic Church]][[Category:Papal States]]</text>
    <sha1>f2cb0d6e4826e7dc207540dbb89a489c08a59f84</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>10</id>
    <parentid>9</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-07T02:23:27Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Planet of Hats</username>
      <id>2</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2887" xml:space="preserve">This list covers the Bishops of Rome since the Moonlight in a Jar point of divergence in 976 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! #
! Regnal name
! Birth name
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
| 135
! Benedict VII
| 
| October 974
| 10 July 983
| 
|-
| 136
! John XIV
| Pietro Canepanova
| December 983
| 24 August 984
| 
|-
| 137
! John XV
| 
| October 974
| June 997
| 
|-
| --
! ''John XIV''
| Ioannes Philagathos
| June 997
| 3 March 998
| Later recognized as an antipope; executed on the order of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 138
! Sylvester II
| Heribert of Worms
| March 998
| 3 February 1007
| Affirmed by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III; eventually driven out of Rome by the anti-Ottonian faction, imprisoned by John Crescentius and left to die in the gaol
|-
| 139
! John XVII
| Giovanni Fasano
| 9 February 1007
| 19 July 1010
| Candidate of the Crescentii; is numbered XVII because John XIV was not recognized as an antipope until much later
|-
| 140
! Sergius IV
| Pietro Martino Buccoporci
| July 1010
| 28 May 1011
| A Roman who acted as a puppet of the Crescentii
|-
| 141
! Sergius V
| Bernward of Hildesheim
| 30 May 1011
| 13 October 1023
| Candidate of Holy Roman Empress Zoe and the Tusculani; a scientific pope who embraced Cnut the Rich as King of Angland and affirmed the Christianity of the Danish monarchs
|-
| 142
! John XVIII
| Gianmarco Mastropiero
| 26 October 1023
| 2 April 1036
| 
|-
| 143
! Benedict VIII
| Villano of Brescia
| 12 April 1036
| 21 February 1042
| 
|-
| 144
! Innocent II
| Gephard of Mainz
| 27 February 1042
| 6 June 1042
| 
|-
| 145
! Innocent III
| Adalbert of Magdeburg
| 27 June 1042
| 18 May 1047
| 
|-
| 146
! Clement III
| Ildebrando Scudoverde
| 28 May 1047
| 4 September 1054
| Candidate of Count Theophylact of Tusculum; considered "the most evil man ever to sit upon the Throne of St. Peter" by Heidrich of Liesborn; overthrown by a popular uprising and jailed by the Holy Roman Emperor
|-
| 147
! John XIX
| Bruno
| 8 September 1054
| 5 May 1056
| Personal chaplain of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 148
! Benedict IX
| Conrad of Passau
| 14 May 1056
| 18 November 1067
| Opposed by Antipope Innocent IV
|-
| 149
! Marinus III
| Hermann of Aachen
| 25 November 1067
| 14 March 1078
| 
|-
| 150
! John XX
| 
| March 1078
| June 1082
| 
|-
| 151
! Urban II
| Amalric of Cambrai
| June 1082
| April 1094
| The Roman candidate and an anti-Imperial reformer; opposed by Antipope John XXI (Hunoald)
|-
| 152
! Benedict X
| Pons de Tolosa
| April 1094
| 10 July 983
| The first Provencal pope and Urban II's close follower; opposed by Antipope John XXI; performs the Great Deposition, excommunicating Holy Roman Emperor Hermann and declaring him deposed as both King and Emperor
|-


|}

[[Category:Lists of rulers]][[Category:Catholic Church]][[Category:Papal States]]</text>
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    <text bytes="2878" xml:space="preserve">This list covers the Bishops of Rome since the Moonlight in a Jar point of divergence in 976 AD.

{| class="wikitable" style="; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! #
! Regnal name
! Birth name
! From
! To
! Notes
|-
| 135
! Benedict VII
| 
| October 974
| 10 July 983
| 
|-
| 136
! John XIV
| Pietro Canepanova
| December 983
| 24 August 984
| 
|-
| 137
! John XV
| 
| October 974
| June 997
| 
|-
| --
! ''John XIV''
| Ioannes Philagathos
| June 997
| 3 March 998
| Later recognized as an antipope; executed on the order of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 138
! Sylvester II
| Heribert of Worms
| March 998
| 3 February 1007
| Affirmed by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III; eventually driven out of Rome by the anti-Ottonian faction, imprisoned by John Crescentius and left to die in the gaol
|-
| 139
! John XVII
| Giovanni Fasano
| 9 February 1007
| 19 July 1010
| Candidate of the Crescentii; is numbered XVII because John XIV was not recognized as an antipope until much later
|-
| 140
! Sergius IV
| Pietro Martino Buccoporci
| July 1010
| 28 May 1011
| A Roman who acted as a puppet of the Crescentii
|-
| 141
! Sergius V
| Bernward of Hildesheim
| 30 May 1011
| 13 October 1023
| Candidate of Holy Roman Empress Zoe and the Tusculani; a scientific pope who embraced Cnut the Rich as King of Angland and affirmed the Christianity of the Danish monarchs
|-
| 142
! John XVIII
| Gianmarco Mastropiero
| 26 October 1023
| 2 April 1036
| 
|-
| 143
! Benedict VIII
| Villano of Brescia
| 12 April 1036
| 21 February 1042
| 
|-
| 144
! Innocent II
| Gephard of Mainz
| 27 February 1042
| 6 June 1042
| 
|-
| 145
! Innocent III
| Adalbert of Magdeburg
| 27 June 1042
| 18 May 1047
| 
|-
| 146
! Clement III
| Ildebrando Scudoverde
| 28 May 1047
| 4 September 1054
| Candidate of Count Theophylact of Tusculum; considered "the most evil man ever to sit upon the Throne of St. Peter" by Heidrich of Liesborn; overthrown by a popular uprising and jailed by the Holy Roman Emperor
|-
| 147
! John XIX
| Bruno
| 8 September 1054
| 5 May 1056
| Personal chaplain of Holy Roman Emperor Otto III
|-
| 148
! Benedict IX
| Conrad of Passau
| 14 May 1056
| 18 November 1067
| Opposed by Antipope Innocent IV
|-
| 149
! Marinus III
| Hermann of Aachen
| 25 November 1067
| 14 March 1078
| 
|-
| 150
! John XX
| 
| March 1078
| June 1082
| 
|-
| 151
! Urban II
| Amalric of Cambrai
| June 1082
| April 1094
| The Roman candidate and an anti-Imperial reformer; opposed by Antipope John XXI (Hunoald)
|-
| 152
! Benedict X
| Pons de Tolosa
| April 1094
| --
| The first Provencal pope and Urban II's close follower; opposed by Antipope John XXI; performs the Great Deposition, excommunicating Holy Roman Emperor Hermann and declaring him deposed as both King and Emperor
|-


|}

[[Category:Lists of rulers]][[Category:Catholic Church]][[Category:Papal States]]</text>
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  <title>Barshil</title>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Barshil'''&lt;br&gt;بارشيل‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1396 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Alasca
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Mundhir Peak (812m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (~1410 onward)
|}
'''Barshil''' is a major island in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], located off the northeast coast of [[Alasca]], southwest of [[Greenland]].

Discovered by Andalusian explorers in the 1390s following fishery exploitation of the nearby cod-rich Banks of Barshil, the island is utilized primarily as a fishery as of the late 1400s. Settlements on Barshil represent the northernmost Andalusian colony in the [[Gharb al-Aqsa]].

==Name==

The name ''Barshil'' derives from Christian sources and likely comes from the legend of the island of Hy-Brazil. This myth seems to have diffused from Irish sailors to their counterparts in Gallaecia and the Basque Country, and from there to Andalusian sailors exploring the Gharb al-Aqsa.

In Latinate languages, the island may be referred to as ''Brasil''.

==Geographic features==

===Bodies of water===

* '''Banks of Barshil''' - Rich fishing grounds to the east-southeast of the island. (OTL: The Grand Banks)
* '''Khalij al-Sayadin''' - A bay on the southeastern part of the island. Etymology: Arabic, ''Bay of ships.'' (OTL: Trepassey Bay)

===Landforms===

* '''Mundhir Peak''' - A mountain in the west of Barshil, named for the explorer Mundhir ibn Halil al-Lishbuni, who recorded the existence of the Banks of Barshil for the first time. (OTL: The Cabox)

==Settlements==

* '''[[Jadida]]''' - A fishing colony and alcazar located on the Khalij al-Sayadin. Etymology: Arabic, from ''madinat al-jadida'', "the new city."

[[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Barshil'''&lt;br&gt;بارشيل‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1396 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Alasca
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Mundhir Peak (812m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (~1410 onward)
|}
'''Barshil''' is a major island in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], located off the northeast coast of [[Alasca]], southwest of [[Greenland]].

Discovered by Andalusian explorers in the 1390s following fishery exploitation of the nearby cod-rich Banks of Barshil, the island is utilized primarily as a fishery as of the late 1400s. Settlements on Barshil represent the northernmost Andalusian colony in the [[Gharb al-Aqsa]].

==Name==

The name ''Barshil'' derives from Christian sources and likely comes from the legend of the island of Hy-Brazil. This myth seems to have diffused from Irish sailors to their counterparts in Gallaecia and the Basque Country, and from there to Andalusian sailors exploring the Gharb al-Aqsa.

In Latinate languages, the island may be referred to as ''Brasil''.

==Geographic features==

===Bodies of water===

* '''Banks of Barshil''' - Rich fishing grounds to the east-southeast of the island. (OTL: The Grand Banks)
* '''Khalij al-Sayadin''' - A bay on the southeastern part of the island. Etymology: Arabic, ''Bay of fishermen.'' (OTL: Trepassey Bay)

===Landforms===

* '''Mundhir Peak''' - A mountain in the west of Barshil, named for the explorer Mundhir ibn Halil al-Lishbuni, who recorded the existence of the Banks of Barshil for the first time. (OTL: The Cabox)

==Settlements==

* '''[[Jadida]]''' - A fishing colony and alcazar located on the Khalij al-Sayadin. Etymology: Arabic, from ''madinat al-jadida'', "the new city."

[[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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  <title>Al-Gattas</title>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Gattas'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1351 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Qibah (1,974m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
'''Al-Gattas''' is a major island in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is presently the most populated of the [[Juzur al-Luwlu]] and is a key trading and settlement area for the overseas Asmarid Empire.

==Name==

The name ''al-Gattas'' derives from the Arabic for "the diver," coined by the explorer [[Al-Tamarani]] after following a flock of gannets to the island's coast in 1351.

In Latinate languages, the island is typically referred to as ''Alcatraz''.

==Geographic features==

===Landforms===

* '''Sibun Mountains''' - The predominant mountain range of southeastern Al-Gattas. Named for the Sibun (Ciboney) people who inhabited the island. (OTL: The Sierra Maestra range)
** '''Qibah''' - A mountain in the southeast of the island, the highest peak on the island. Named for the indigenous word for "stone mountain." (OTL: Pico Turquino)

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Mansurat al-Gharbiyah]]
* [[Mursat al-Fajr]]
* [[Nasriyyah]] - The main port on Al-Gattas in the 1300s and early 1400s and a key waystation for ships trading with the mainland.

===Others===

* [[Bayamah]]
* [[Burj 'Aybad]]
* [[Istijah]]
* [[Jiwanah]]
* [[As-Sandan]]
* [[Yarah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>Mawana</title>
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  <id>8</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Mawana'''&lt;br&gt;موانا
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1348 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Unnamed peak (3,098m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
The '''Wilayah of Mawana''' is a political subdivision of the Asmarid Empire comprising the entire island of Qisqayyah in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is part of the core Pearl Islands dependencies administered by the Asmarids.

==Name==

The name ''Mawana'' derives from the Maguana tribe, the largest of the tribes living on Qisqayyah prior to the arrival of Muslims. The name ''Qisqayyah'' is a rough transliteration of the indigenous name of the island, ''Quisqueya''.

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Makzan as-Salih]]
* [[Sharaqah]]

===Others===

* [[Naybah]]
* [[Waqah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]]</text>
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  <title>Category:Locations in Alasca</title>
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  <title>Category:Lists of rulers</title>
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    <text bytes="61" xml:space="preserve">The master category for lists of rulers.

[[Category:Rulers]]</text>
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  <title>Category:Rulers</title>
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  <title>Bataid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>16</id>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-18T04:04:44Z</timestamp>
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    <text bytes="434" xml:space="preserve">The Bataid Empire was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of Ar-Rumaniyah. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits.</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Bataids'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| the Haemus and Anatolia
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | 
| 
|-
|}

The Bataid Empire was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of Ar-Rumaniyah. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits.</text>
    <sha1>4da474677a547919573ae246443f1488a4a7b626</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>30</id>
    <parentid>29</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T05:22:20Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>108.62.49.129</username>
      <id>0</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Bataids'''&lt;br&gt;الإمبراطورية الرومانية
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| the Haemus and Anatolia
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | 
| 
|-
|}

The Bataid Empire was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of Ar-Rumaniyah. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits.</text>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>File:Asmarids.png</title>
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  <id>17</id>
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    <id>31</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T05:35:18Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="29" xml:space="preserve">symbol of the asmarid dynasty</text>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>Talk:Al-Andalus</title>
  <ns>1</ns>
  <id>18</id>
  <revision>
    <id>41</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T09:18:55Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Discussion on Al-Andalus's formal name</comment>
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    <text bytes="900" xml:space="preserve">== Al-Andalus during the Emirate/Caliphate period (pre-POD) and subsequent periods (post-POD) ==
I don't want to post this question in the main timeline thread since this pertains to extremely specific worldbuilding, but I was wondering if the Emirate/Caliphate of Cordoba title was even used by the Umayyads or if it's something made up by Western historians.

In MiaJ, the Umayyads might probably consider their Emirate/Caliphate as part of the existing first Caliphate before the Abbasids, so it's possible that they would call it the Umayyad Emirate and later the Umayyad Caliphate with no change to their previous name or perhaps the Second Umayyad Caliphate.

I think later periods of Al-Andalus would also call their state the Umayyad Caliphate, even if they are in the control of the Hajib, since they're just the temporal representative of the actual Umayyad Caliph.

- Denliner [10/18/2020]</text>
    <sha1>d82c2d69ba04301371b5110d1ba97a26d0e7a557</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="">
  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>19</id>
  <revision>
    <id>44</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:35:27Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Creating the Asmarid Empire article</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1726" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Asmarid Empire''' &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1" border="1" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.jpg|left|250px]]&lt;br&gt;Umayyad flag&lt;br&gt;[[Image:AsmaridEmpireFlag.jpg|left|250px]]&lt;br&gt;Dynastic flag
| [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.jpg|left|250px]]&lt;br&gt;Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1483''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;and Largest City
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The Asmarid Empire is the current state controlling the region of Al-Andalus, starting from 1449.
==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==</text>
    <sha1>faa110e6903a45822103d7275ef49feb3bae33f9</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>49</id>
    <parentid>44</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:58:13Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Added the flags of the Asmarid Empire plus my own emblem I made earlier (Let me know if these flags need replacing due to it not being canon)</comment>
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    <text bytes="1710" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Asmarid Empire''' &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1483''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;and Largest City
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The Asmarid Empire is the current state controlling the region of Al-Andalus, starting from 1449.
==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==</text>
    <sha1>f80e17942354d74cb520262c5ebbcc0bdd1f9c94</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>50</id>
    <parentid>49</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T18:09:00Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Basic categories</comment>
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    <text bytes="2096" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Asmarid Empire''' &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The Asmarid Empire is the current state controlling the region of Al-Andalus, starting from 1449. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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  <title>File:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png</title>
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    <id>45</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:37:56Z</timestamp>
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  <title>File:AsmaridFlag.png</title>
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  <id>21</id>
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    <id>46</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:49:14Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:50:36Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner uploaded a new version of [[File:AsmaridFlag.png]]</comment>
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  <title>File:AsmaridEmblem.png</title>
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    <id>48</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-18T12:53:30Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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  <title>File:1482.jpeg</title>
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    <id>51</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T00:39:27Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Main Page</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>1</id>
  <revision>
    <id>52</id>
    <parentid>27</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T00:51:43Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Added the 1482 world map, let me know if this needs a higher quality version or needs to be removed.</comment>
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    <text bytes="1364" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1482.jpeg|center|1000px]]

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] &lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>54</id>
    <parentid>52</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T00:58:18Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Change it from .jpeg to .png</comment>
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    <text bytes="1363" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1482.png|center|1000px]]

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] &lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</text>
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  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>68</id>
    <parentid>54</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T06:20:37Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="1363" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] &lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1482.png|center|1000px]]</text>
    <sha1>0f7f5e2ef9c2b90906bab3cafba128b1c8ab8b8f</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>93</id>
    <parentid>68</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:50:11Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Technology (Saqins and Zhengqis!)</comment>
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    <text bytes="1375" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that Miajwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] ~ Technology&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1482.png|center|1000px]]</text>
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    <id>53</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T00:57:41Z</timestamp>
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    <text bytes="0" xml:space="preserve"></text>
    <sha1>da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Category:States</title>
  <ns>14</ns>
  <id>25</id>
  <revision>
    <id>55</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T01:21:02Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "The master category for various states in Moonlight in a Jar."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="61" xml:space="preserve">The master category for various states in Moonlight in a Jar.</text>
    <sha1>486a284e1166f563eac28194e9068edf7f4b0251</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Category:States in Europe</title>
  <ns>14</ns>
  <id>26</id>
  <revision>
    <id>56</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T03:33:10Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:States]]"</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="19" xml:space="preserve">[[Category:States]]</text>
    <sha1>1a28ca0eeef9b12a5158ea594d238f6f7eacc7bd</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Category:States in Africa</title>
  <ns>14</ns>
  <id>27</id>
  <revision>
    <id>57</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T03:38:53Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:States]]"</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="19" xml:space="preserve">[[Category:States]]</text>
    <sha1>1a28ca0eeef9b12a5158ea594d238f6f7eacc7bd</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>19</id>
  <revision>
    <id>58</id>
    <parentid>50</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T03:59:53Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2128" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Asmarid Empire''' &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was the ruling dynasty controlling the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, starting from 1449 until [].
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>845800f91a7be9a572766b0aad49415147d60615</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>63</id>
    <parentid>58</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:06:31Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2142" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was the ruling dynasty controlling the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, starting from 1449 until [].
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>75d6450696f9c0ba40de2fadf0726f1b678ebdf3</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>74</id>
    <parentid>63</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T00:19:04Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Summary + Wikipedia-style map!</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2981" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 20em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. In addition, they are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids ascended to the role of Hajib after the death of Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, as rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>d086821569433073705d31bf4aa23a46abbe3204</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>75</id>
    <parentid>74</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T00:20:18Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2981" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. In addition, they are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids ascended to the role of Hajib after the death of Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, as rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>89e87ae54e44ce92f3043970f64bef7e8005adb6</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>76</id>
    <parentid>75</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T02:47:29Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Links to Al-Andalus and the Maghreb as regions.</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2989" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Iberian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. In addition, they are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids ascended to the role of Hajib after the death of Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, as rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>04c074448fbb5b82064d12d5aeb58bfafdb66663</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>78</id>
    <parentid>76</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T07:01:37Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="3030" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. In addition, they are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids ascended to the role of Hajib after the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, as rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>aeb632cdf0badf6b87d16e4eb9e3f84bb3d27b5e</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>80</id>
    <parentid>78</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T07:56:27Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Changed summary</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="3407" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>df22046dcc353a0202282e3c336f372a14fc75f9</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>83</id>
    <parentid>80</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T00:06:29Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Story of the rise of Al-Nasr + Provinces of the Asmarid Empire</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="9747" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the Algarves and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Much of the veterans of the Blue Army now moved into the coastal cities like Sale, looking for work overseas.

With much of the Algarves depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the Sudan region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadis were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Sea 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. 
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>88e62b37272d067d5bbbfabe33104ce6e7adce59</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>84</id>
    <parentid>83</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T00:13:50Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="9749" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the Algarves and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Much of the veterans of the Blue Army now moved into the coastal cities like Sale, looking for work overseas.

With much of the Algarves depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the Sudan region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadis were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>cb3d6313fba5bed0f0052184aa8bfcff39fe3eff</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Wu dynasty</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>28</id>
  <revision>
    <id>59</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:00:12Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1545" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Wu dynasty''' &lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Wu dynasty by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The Wu dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Zhongguo from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>dbf0795e72cd372eeee376fa2483487eb837588b</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>64</id>
    <parentid>59</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:06:43Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1544" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Wu dynasty by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The Wu dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Zhongguo from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>ac149e31f706d06cc0caa7d47bb48504c2821329</sha1>
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  <revision>
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    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Wu dynasty by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Wu dynasty''' was the ruling dynasty of [[Zhongguo]] from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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  <ns>14</ns>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:00:38Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:States]]"</comment>
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  <title>Bataid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>16</id>
  <revision>
    <id>61</id>
    <parentid>30</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:01:56Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Bataids]] to [[Bataid Empire]]: Keeping things consistent with the Asmarids and future empires, sorry Hats!</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="1035" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Bataids'''&lt;br&gt;الإمبراطورية الرومانية
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| the Haemus and Anatolia
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | 
| 
|-
|}

The Bataid Empire was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of Ar-Rumaniyah. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits.</text>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:39:19Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Completed the basic Bataid Empire page</comment>
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    <text bytes="2301" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων &lt;br&gt; الإمبراطورية الرومانية &lt;br&gt; Imperium Romanum
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| [[Image:BataidEmpireFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Bataid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Constantinople
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Greek • Arabic • Turkmen • Patzinak 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Eastern Islam • Greek Orthodoxy • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaysar):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Iskender Bata (first)
* Al-Mansour
* Al-Mansour II
* Abdullah Arslan
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iskender's Coup &lt;small&gt;1282&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]]
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Hashemite Kingdom]]
* [[Eastern Roman Empire]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Bataid Empire''' was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of [[Ar-Rumaniyah]]. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits. Similar to the previous Orthodox-led [[Eastern Roman Empire]], it saw itself as the legitimate Roman Empire over claimants such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the [[Kingdom of Romania]].

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==

[[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]][[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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  <title>Bataids</title>
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  <id>30</id>
  <revision>
    <id>62</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:01:56Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Bataids]] to [[Bataid Empire]]: Keeping things consistent with the Asmarids and future empires, sorry Hats!</comment>
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    <text bytes="27" xml:space="preserve">#REDIRECT [[Bataid Empire]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
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  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>31</id>
  <revision>
    <id>66</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T04:37:55Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Holy Roman Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>32</id>
  <revision>
    <id>69</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T07:07:23Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2018" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | Flag
| align="center" | Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>346f3d08e3007810a5d798278ef5cc6363907e2e</sha1>
  </revision>
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<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Al-Andalus</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>3</id>
  <revision>
    <id>70</id>
    <parentid>42</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T09:38:14Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of Al-Andalus.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili and Qurtuba to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations]]</text>
    <sha1>d73d68c59b73829225d4003b78c57fe72d8d5fb2</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>71</id>
    <parentid>70</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-19T11:03:56Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>History of the Umayyad Emirate and the later Caliphate</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="10504" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Andalus'''&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili and Qurtuba to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Al-Andalus&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili and Qurtuba to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Al-Andalus&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
Al-Andalus is home to many different languages, due to its position as the intermediary between Europe and Africa, and of the Christian and Muslim worlds. It is generally divided between the Latinate north and the Arabic/Berber south as the north of Al-Andalus is mostly Christian and therefore not as Arabized as the south. The major exception to this is Mozarabic, a Latinate language spoken by Christian Andalusi and some Muslims in the south of the peninsula, although it is a minority language compared to Andalusi Arabic. Berber also has a considerable influence in the region due to Berber migrants into Al-Andalus, although many Berbers also speak Arabic, albeit in a different dialect. Basque also exists in the region of Navarre, being a language isolate unrelated to the Latinate, Arabic, and Berber language families.
* '''Semitic:'''
** [[Andalusi Arabic]]
** [[Maghrebi Arabic]]
* '''Berber:'''
** [[Berber / Tamazight]]
* '''Latinate:'''
** [[Mozarabic]]
** [[Galician]]
** [[Leonese]]
** [[Castilian]]
* '''Other:'''
** [[Basque]]

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations]]</text>
    <sha1>8f329a39b7096a55b6945de5292d9fc99dfc38a2</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>File:AsmaridEmpireMap.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>33</id>
  <revision>
    <id>73</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-20T23:55:58Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="0" xml:space="preserve"></text>
    <sha1>da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709</sha1>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Talk:Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>1</ns>
  <id>34</id>
  <revision>
    <id>77</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T03:31:39Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "== Asmarid Empire's flag/emblem as canon  == Let me know if the Emblem and flag that I made and posted is not canon in the MiaJverse. There were other emblems made by people t..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="252" xml:space="preserve">== Asmarid Empire's flag/emblem as canon  ==
Let me know if the Emblem and flag that I made and posted is not canon in the MiaJverse.
There were other emblems made by people that could be alternatives if they're not sufficient.

- Denliner [10/20/2020]</text>
    <sha1>95caa965b05934a3f8601695f81c0b14d2816669</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Algarves</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>35</id>
  <revision>
    <id>81</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T19:00:05Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>84.17.63.56</username>
      <id>0</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "Al-Aqsa (also known as Alasca or Allasque) in is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1235" xml:space="preserve">Al-Aqsa (also known as Alasca or Allasque) in is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as a northern subcontinent of the Farthest west. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlas Ocean, to the southeast by the Southern Algarves and the Pearl Sea, and to the west and south by the Great Sunset Ocean.

Al-Aqsa covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. Al-Aqsa is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Sudan, and the fourth by population after Asia, Sudan, and Europe.

Al-Aqsa was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a Yugran land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The pre-Crossing era ended in 1337, with the beginning of the transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers during the Age of Discovery and the early modern period. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between European and Maghrebi colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.</text>
    <sha1>c7393ddb5e9fb65ee71e712c0712d815e5d5f231</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>97</id>
    <parentid>81</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:16:33Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Al-aqsa]] to [[Algarves]]: Common title seems to be the Algarves / Alasca, but I'm going to keep it the Algarves for now since it's more common</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1235" xml:space="preserve">Al-Aqsa (also known as Alasca or Allasque) in is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as a northern subcontinent of the Farthest west. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlas Ocean, to the southeast by the Southern Algarves and the Pearl Sea, and to the west and south by the Great Sunset Ocean.

Al-Aqsa covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. Al-Aqsa is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Sudan, and the fourth by population after Asia, Sudan, and Europe.

Al-Aqsa was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a Yugran land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The pre-Crossing era ended in 1337, with the beginning of the transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers during the Age of Discovery and the early modern period. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between European and Maghrebi colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.</text>
    <sha1>c7393ddb5e9fb65ee71e712c0712d815e5d5f231</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>100</id>
    <parentid>97</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:28:36Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="987" xml:space="preserve">[[File:Algarves.png|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Algarves''' (also known as Alasca or Allasque) is a supercontinent located within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlas Ocean, and to the west by the Sunset Ocean. It covers an area of about 42,549,000 square kilometers.

The Algarves was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The Pre-Crossing era ended in 1337 by Andalusi explorer Al-Mustakhif. Following the discovery, transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers began during the Crossing period as they settled and intermixed with the Native Algarvian population. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between Afro-Eurasian colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.

==Etymology==
==Geography==
===Major Features===
==Known States==</text>
    <sha1>0fbf92adebf4a91e66939a3597d05d3a9b3835a0</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>King's Town</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>36</id>
  <revision>
    <id>82</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-21T19:45:47Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>84.17.63.56</username>
      <id>0</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "the settlement of Kingston (historically rendered as 'King's Town') in the Colony of Helenia was the first permanent Anglish settlement in Alasca"</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="145" xml:space="preserve">the settlement of Kingston (historically rendered as 'King's Town') in the Colony of Helenia was the first permanent Anglish settlement in Alasca</text>
    <sha1>4bb4b5aa80e1dd817502b60541c9e6161bfd586c</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>94</id>
    <parentid>82</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:52:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[King's town]] to [[King's Town]]: Capitalization</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="145" xml:space="preserve">the settlement of Kingston (historically rendered as 'King's Town') in the Colony of Helenia was the first permanent Anglish settlement in Alasca</text>
    <sha1>4bb4b5aa80e1dd817502b60541c9e6161bfd586c</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Otomi Alliance</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>37</id>
  <revision>
    <id>85</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T01:33:02Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Otomi Alliance</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1466" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Otomi Alliance
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1380 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Otomi Alliance by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Danin&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Dahnini (Otomi)&lt;br&gt;Xaltocan (Nahua)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Nanyu Arabic • Otomi • Nahua • Purepecha
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emir:'''&lt;br&gt;
* 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Formation of the Alliance &lt;small&gt;1380&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Dahnini-Xaltocan (Danin)
* Nzi'batha-Metztitlan (Az-Zimbattah)
* Purepecha Tzintzuntzan 
* Cempoala
* Texcoco
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The Otomi Alliance was a state ruled by the Emir of Danin (Dahnini-Xaltocan) from 1380 to [], formed by a collection of friendly Islamic city states after the fall of the Tepanecs and their tributary network.

==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===</text>
    <sha1>7a4836635696c67c9733fea047210105b1686a08</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>87</id>
    <parentid>85</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:05:40Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="1534" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Otomi Alliance
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1380 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Otomi Alliance by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Danin&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Dahnini (Otomi)&lt;br&gt;Xaltocan (Nahua)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Nanyu Arabic • Otomi • Nahua • Purepecha
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emir:'''&lt;br&gt;
* 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Formation of the Alliance &lt;small&gt;1380&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Dahnini-Xaltocan (Danin)
* Nzi'batha-Metztitlan (Az-Zimbattah)
* Purepecha Tzintzuntzan 
* Cempoala
* Texcoco
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The Otomi Alliance was a state ruled by the Emir of Danin (Dahnini-Xaltocan) from 1380 to [], formed by a collection of friendly Islamic city states after the fall of the Tepanecs and their tributary network.

==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category: States in the Algarves]][[Category: States in Alasca]]</text>
    <sha1>e372fc6c305682176d97fe4ab3ca7aef4d57e902</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>90</id>
    <parentid>87</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:33:16Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1540" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Otomi Alliance
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1380 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Otomi Alliance by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Danin&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Dahnini (Otomi)&lt;br&gt;Xaltocan (Nahua)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Nanyu Arabic • Otomi • Nahua • Purepecha
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emir:'''&lt;br&gt;
* 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Formation of the Alliance &lt;small&gt;1380&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Dahnini-Xaltocan (Danin)
* Nzi'batha-Metztitlan (Az-Zimbattah)
* Purepecha Tzintzuntzan 
* Cempoala
* Texcoco
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Otomi Alliance''' was a state ruled by the Emir of Danin (Dahnini-Xaltocan) from 1380 to [], formed by a collection of friendly Islamic city states after the fall of the Tepanecs and their tributary network.

==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category: States in the Algarves]][[Category: States in Alasca]]</text>
    <sha1>b7c3ddd7c31367118497e9fa5fff0b4fb6f16712</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>File:Flag of Anglang.svg.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>38</id>
  <revision>
    <id>86</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T01:48:59Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="15" xml:space="preserve">flag of angland</text>
    <sha1>0fb8616f2e43581071a8a76f9bb2c26d6b1cfbd6</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>File:Ængland.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>39</id>
  <revision>
    <id>88</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:06:27Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="20" xml:space="preserve">Anglish coat of arms</text>
    <sha1>f56d4485bbb746ac08ceb96e717846e1d00eca3a</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>File:AnglandFlag.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>40</id>
  <revision>
    <id>89</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:30:55Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="0" xml:space="preserve"></text>
    <sha1>da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709</sha1>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Kingdom of Angland</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>41</id>
  <revision>
    <id>91</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:33:37Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1169" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| [[image:Flag of Anglang.svg.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|thumb|center|100px]]coat of arms
|-
! align="left" | Motto
| Brytenwongas is rôw hêr
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[|center|250px]]''Anglish holdings by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
|  • Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Hereditary monarchy &lt;br&gt;

|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|

|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}</text>
    <sha1>b2dccfc456374ef1cb3aad76a346a3e71a166774</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>92</id>
    <parentid>91</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:48:09Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Edited the main page + Added my rendition of the Anglish flag (The flag is supposed to be Nordic), but will keep the Crazymachines' Coat of Arms since that is more canonical</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="2281" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]coat of arms
|-
! align="center" colspan="2"| Motto: ''Brytenwongas is rôw hêr''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Kingdom of England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>cfbaecb6f7aefc73115f0e2b60b2b78abf03f435</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>96</id>
    <parentid>92</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:59:35Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="2289" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]coat of arms
|-
! align="center" colspan="2"| Motto: ''Brytenwongas is rôw hêr''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Kingdom of England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>5b77c79dc4c909e3314a5cd50b4e086264dfce1f</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>King's town</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>42</id>
  <revision>
    <id>95</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T02:52:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[King's town]] to [[King's Town]]: Capitalization</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="25" xml:space="preserve">#REDIRECT [[King's Town]]</text>
    <sha1>94604206eaa069908581750f859a7481e733f9d1</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>Al-aqsa</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>43</id>
  <revision>
    <id>98</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:16:33Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Al-aqsa]] to [[Algarves]]: Common title seems to be the Algarves / Alasca, but I'm going to keep it the Algarves for now since it's more common</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="22" xml:space="preserve">#REDIRECT [[Algarves]]</text>
    <sha1>6b262495d78c200391eca014b55c82cc7cdb1f5d</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201019003927|51">
  <title>File:Algarves.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>44</id>
  <revision>
    <id>99</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:26:10Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="0" xml:space="preserve"></text>
    <sha1>da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Algarves</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>35</id>
  <revision>
    <id>101</id>
    <parentid>100</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:37:10Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1533" xml:space="preserve">[[File:Algarves.png|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Algarves''' (also known as Alasca or Allasque) is a supercontinent located within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]], to the east by the [[Atlas Ocean]], and to the west by the [[Sunset Ocean]]. It covers an area of about 42,549,000 square kilometers.

The Algarves was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The Pre-Crossing era ended in 1337 by Andalusi explorer Al-Mustakhif. Following the discovery, transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers began during the Crossing period as they settled and intermixed with the Native Algarvian population. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between Afro-Eurasian colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.

==Etymology==
Algarves is the Anglicization of the Andalusi term, "Al-Gharb" meaning the cardinal direction West. This term is part of the larger term "Al-Gharb Al-Aqsa" which means "The Farthest West", referring to its position as a landmass that is farther to the west than the region of "Al-Gharb Al-Andalus" in the peninsula. Alternatively, many Anglish, Latinate, and other Christian European peoples refer to the supercontinent as Alasca or Allasque, based on the corruption of the term "Al-Aqsa", coined by the Anglish explorer Galin Keats.
==Geography==
===Major Features===
==Known States==</text>
    <sha1>f72ef84f276558e6506ca26f4e79ba31408c7704</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>102</id>
    <parentid>101</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:46:33Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Known States */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1835" xml:space="preserve">[[File:Algarves.png|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Algarves''' (also known as Alasca or Allasque) is a supercontinent located within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]], to the east by the [[Atlas Ocean]], and to the west by the [[Sunset Ocean]]. It covers an area of about 42,549,000 square kilometers.

The Algarves was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The Pre-Crossing era ended in 1337 by Andalusi explorer Al-Mustakhif. Following the discovery, transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers began during the Crossing period as they settled and intermixed with the Native Algarvian population. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between Afro-Eurasian colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.

==Etymology==
Algarves is the Anglicization of the Andalusi term, "Al-Gharb" meaning the cardinal direction West. This term is part of the larger term "Al-Gharb Al-Aqsa" which means "The Farthest West", referring to its position as a landmass that is farther to the west than the region of "Al-Gharb Al-Andalus" in the peninsula. Alternatively, many Anglish, Latinate, and other Christian European peoples refer to the supercontinent as Alasca or Allasque, based on the corruption of the term "Al-Aqsa", coined by the Anglish explorer Galin Keats.
==Geography==
===Major Features===
==Known States==
* '''Afro-Eurasian Colonists:'''
** [[Asmarid Empire]] (colonies)
** [[Kingdom of England]] (colonies)

* '''Algarvian States:'''
** [[Chichimeca Confederacy]]
** [[Haudenosaunee Confederacy]]
** [[Iskantisuyu]]
** [[Otomi Alliance]]
** [[Mixtec Emirate]]
** [[Xalisco Kingdom]]
** [[Zapotec Emirate]]</text>
    <sha1>2b18ca890681d472c388b108eb0f753f91af6dba</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>103</id>
    <parentid>102</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:47:07Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Known States */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1835" xml:space="preserve">[[File:Algarves.png|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Algarves''' (also known as Alasca or Allasque) is a supercontinent located within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]], to the east by the [[Atlas Ocean]], and to the west by the [[Sunset Ocean]]. It covers an area of about 42,549,000 square kilometers.

The Algarves was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The Pre-Crossing era ended in 1337 by Andalusi explorer Al-Mustakhif. Following the discovery, transatlantic migrations of Andalusi, European, and [ ] settlers began during the Crossing period as they settled and intermixed with the Native Algarvian population. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between Afro-Eurasian colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.

==Etymology==
Algarves is the Anglicization of the Andalusi term, "Al-Gharb" meaning the cardinal direction West. This term is part of the larger term "Al-Gharb Al-Aqsa" which means "The Farthest West", referring to its position as a landmass that is farther to the west than the region of "Al-Gharb Al-Andalus" in the peninsula. Alternatively, many Anglish, Latinate, and other Christian European peoples refer to the supercontinent as Alasca or Allasque, based on the corruption of the term "Al-Aqsa", coined by the Anglish explorer Galin Keats.
==Geography==
===Major Features===
==Known States==
* '''Afro-Eurasian Colonists:'''
** [[Asmarid Empire]] (colonies)
** [[Kingdom of Angland]] (colonies)

* '''Algarvian States:'''
** [[Chichimeca Confederacy]]
** [[Haudenosaunee Confederacy]]
** [[Iskantisuyu]]
** [[Otomi Alliance]]
** [[Mixtec Emirate]]
** [[Xalisco Kingdom]]
** [[Zapotec Emirate]]</text>
    <sha1>8b3fcbfc43bce6e5ada297f2233c2ca219ec7cbb</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>129</id>
    <parentid>103</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T15:20:45Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1834" xml:space="preserve">[[File:Algarves.png|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Algarves''' (also known as Alasca or Allasque) is a supercontinent located within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]], to the east by the [[Atlas Ocean]], and to the west by the [[Sunset Ocean]]. It covers an area of about 42,549,000 square kilometers.

The Algarves was reached by its first human populations during the last glacial period, via crossing a land bridge approximately 40,000 to 17,000 years ago. The Pre-Crossing era ended in 1337 by Andalusi explorer [[Al-Mustakshif]]. Following the discovery, transatlantic migrations of settlers from [[Afro-Eurasia]] began during the Crossing period as they settled and intermixed with the Native Algarvian population. Present-day cultural and ethnic patterns reflect interactions between Afro-Eurasian colonists, indigenous peoples, slaves, immigrants, and the descendants of these groups.

==Etymology==
Algarves is the Anglicization of the Andalusi term, "Al-Gharb" meaning the cardinal direction West. This term is part of the larger term "Al-Gharb Al-Aqsa" which means "The Farthest West", referring to its position as a landmass that is farther to the west than the region of "Al-Gharb Al-Andalus" in the peninsula. Alternatively, many Anglish, Latinate, and other Christian European peoples refer to the supercontinent as Alasca or Allasque, based on the corruption of the term "Al-Aqsa", coined by the Anglish explorer Galin Keats.
==Geography==
===Major Features===
==Known States==
* '''Afro-Eurasian Colonists:'''
** [[Asmarid Empire]] (colonies)
** [[Kingdom of Angland]] (colonies)

* '''Algarvian States:'''
** [[Chichimeca Confederacy]]
** [[Haudenosaunee Confederacy]]
** [[Iskantisuyu]]
** [[Otomi Alliance]]
** [[Mixtec Emirate]]
** [[Xalisco Kingdom]]
** [[Zapotec Emirate]]</text>
    <sha1>f85c852210e65f933a0a15a48757c9046fc1e8b5</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Kingdom of Angland</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>41</id>
  <revision>
    <id>104</id>
    <parentid>96</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:48:23Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2289" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
! align="center" colspan="2"| Motto: ''Brytenwongas is rôw hêr''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Kingdom of England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>0e40462f84c755946d00285165b1d139d302f664</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>108</id>
    <parentid>104</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:51:41Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2334" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
! align="center" colspan="2"| Motto: ''Brytenwongas is rôw hêr''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|thumb|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>130e4b665aac0b68fc49b2831a6b3d5e8b34396c</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>114</id>
    <parentid>108</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:54:56Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2328" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
! align="center" colspan="2"| Motto: ''Brytenwongas is rôw hêr''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>f6692ec3ba19368b50690270d994c7eec6513d46</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>118</id>
    <parentid>114</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T04:06:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Changed the motto section to look more like the wikipedia version + added translation (Change if it is incorrect!)</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2392" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''"Brytenwongas is rôw hêr"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is calm here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>901cc3715a894b39ef8f34ea92d1b55c83bc4289</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>124</id>
    <parentid>118</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T06:27:02Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2393" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''"Brytenwongas is rôw hêr"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is quiet here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Grimsby
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| London
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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  <title>File:Angland map.png</title>
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  <id>45</id>
  <revision>
    <id>105</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:48:43Z</timestamp>
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      <id>4</id>
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    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="34" xml:space="preserve">map of angland in the 15th century</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>19</id>
  <revision>
    <id>106</id>
    <parentid>84</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:50:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="9754" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Much of the veterans of the Blue Army now moved into the coastal cities like Sale, looking for work overseas.

With much of the Algarves depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the Sudan region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadis were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>e909d9a8fedff135885b46de93fd8e737b384b10</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>120</id>
    <parentid>106</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T04:15:44Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="9775" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the Sudan region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadis were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>05f6907c912315ee95f2009f1125743bde7bb7ba</sha1>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Barshil</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>6</id>
  <revision>
    <id>107</id>
    <parentid>43</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:51:31Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2168" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Barshil'''&lt;br&gt;بارشيل‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1396 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Alasca
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Mundhir Peak (812m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (~1410 onward)
|}
'''Barshil''' is a major island in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], located off the northeast coast of [[Alasca]], southwest of [[Greenland]].

Discovered by Andalusian explorers in the 1390s following fishery exploitation of the nearby cod-rich Banks of Barshil, the island is utilized primarily as a fishery as of the late 1400s. Settlements on Barshil represent the northernmost Andalusian colony in the [[Gharb al-Aqsa]].

==Name==

The name ''Barshil'' derives from Christian sources and likely comes from the legend of the island of Hy-Brazil. This myth seems to have diffused from Irish sailors to their counterparts in Gallaecia and the Basque Country, and from there to Andalusian sailors exploring the Gharb al-Aqsa.

In Latinate languages, the island may be referred to as ''Brasil''.

==Geographic features==

===Bodies of water===

* '''Banks of Barshil''' - Rich fishing grounds to the east-southeast of the island. (OTL: The Grand Banks)
* '''Khalij al-Sayadin''' - A bay on the southeastern part of the island. Etymology: Arabic, ''Bay of fishermen.'' (OTL: Trepassey Bay)

===Landforms===

* '''Mundhir Peak''' - A mountain in the west of Barshil, named for the explorer Mundhir ibn Halil al-Lishbuni, who recorded the existence of the Banks of Barshil for the first time. (OTL: The Cabox)

==Settlements==

* '''[[Jadida]]''' - A fishing colony and alcazar located on the Khalij al-Sayadin. Etymology: Arabic, from ''madinat al-jadida'', "the new city."

[[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:51:46Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:Locations]]"</comment>
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  <title>Al-Gattas</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <text bytes="1918" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Gattas'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1351 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Qibah (1,974m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
'''Al-Gattas''' is a major island in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is presently the most populated of the [[Juzur al-Luwlu]] and is a key trading and settlement area for the overseas Asmarid Empire.

==Name==

The name ''al-Gattas'' derives from the Arabic for "the diver," coined by the explorer [[Al-Tamarani]] after following a flock of gannets to the island's coast in 1351.

In Latinate languages, the island is typically referred to as ''Alcatraz''.

==Geographic features==

===Landforms===

* '''Sibun Mountains''' - The predominant mountain range of southeastern Al-Gattas. Named for the Sibun (Ciboney) people who inhabited the island. (OTL: The Sierra Maestra range)
** '''Qibah''' - A mountain in the southeast of the island, the highest peak on the island. Named for the indigenous word for "stone mountain." (OTL: Pico Turquino)

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Mansurat al-Gharbiyah]]
* [[Mursat al-Fajr]]
* [[Nasriyyah]] - The main port on Al-Gattas in the 1300s and early 1400s and a key waystation for ships trading with the mainland.

===Others===

* [[Bayamah]]
* [[Burj 'Aybad]]
* [[Istijah]]
* [[Jiwanah]]
* [[As-Sandan]]
* [[Yarah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]]</text>
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  <revision>
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    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Gattas'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1351 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Qibah (1,974m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
'''Al-Gattas''' is a major island in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is presently the most populated of the [[Juzur al-Luwlu]] and is a key trading and settlement area for the overseas Asmarid Empire.

==Name==

The name ''al-Gattas'' derives from the Arabic for "the diver," coined by the explorer [[Al-Tamarani]] after following a flock of gannets to the island's coast in 1351.

In Latinate languages, the island is typically referred to as ''Alcatraz''.

==Geographic features==

===Landforms===

* '''Sibun Mountains''' - The predominant mountain range of southeastern Al-Gattas. Named for the Sibun (Ciboney) people who inhabited the island. (OTL: The Sierra Maestra range)
** '''Qibah''' - A mountain in the southeast of the island, the highest peak on the island. Named for the indigenous word for "stone mountain." (OTL: Pico Turquino)

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Mansurat al-Gharbiyah]]
* [[Mursat al-Fajr]]
* [[Nasriyyah]] - The main port on Al-Gattas in the 1300s and early 1400s and a key waystation for ships trading with the mainland.

===Others===

* [[Bayamah]]
* [[Burj 'Aybad]]
* [[Istijah]]
* [[Jiwanah]]
* [[As-Sandan]]
* [[Yarah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]]</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>116</id>
    <parentid>115</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:56:15Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Undo revision 115 by [[Special:Contributions/Denliner|Denliner]] ([[User talk:Denliner|talk]])</comment>
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    <text bytes="1918" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Gattas'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1351 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Qibah (1,974m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
'''Al-Gattas''' is a major island in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is presently the most populated of the [[Juzur al-Luwlu]] and is a key trading and settlement area for the overseas Asmarid Empire.

==Name==

The name ''al-Gattas'' derives from the Arabic for "the diver," coined by the explorer [[Al-Tamarani]] after following a flock of gannets to the island's coast in 1351.

In Latinate languages, the island is typically referred to as ''Alcatraz''.

==Geographic features==

===Landforms===

* '''Sibun Mountains''' - The predominant mountain range of southeastern Al-Gattas. Named for the Sibun (Ciboney) people who inhabited the island. (OTL: The Sierra Maestra range)
** '''Qibah''' - A mountain in the southeast of the island, the highest peak on the island. Named for the indigenous word for "stone mountain." (OTL: Pico Turquino)

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Mansurat al-Gharbiyah]]
* [[Mursat al-Fajr]]
* [[Nasriyyah]] - The main port on Al-Gattas in the 1300s and early 1400s and a key waystation for ships trading with the mainland.

===Others===

* [[Bayamah]]
* [[Burj 'Aybad]]
* [[Istijah]]
* [[Jiwanah]]
* [[As-Sandan]]
* [[Yarah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]]</text>
    <sha1>53e5d56950726399e10d376861a01984c7c23ea4</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>117</id>
    <parentid>116</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:56:26Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
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    <text bytes="1852" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Al-Gattas'''&lt;br&gt;غطاس
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1351 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Bahr al-Luwlu
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Qibah (1,974m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
'''Al-Gattas''' is a major island in the [[Bahr al-Luwlu]]. It is presently the most populated of the [[Juzur al-Luwlu]] and is a key trading and settlement area for the overseas Asmarid Empire.

==Name==

The name ''al-Gattas'' derives from the Arabic for "the diver," coined by the explorer [[Al-Tamarani]] after following a flock of gannets to the island's coast in 1351.

In Latinate languages, the island is typically referred to as ''Alcatraz''.

==Geographic features==

===Landforms===

* '''Sibun Mountains''' - The predominant mountain range of southeastern Al-Gattas. Named for the Sibun (Ciboney) people who inhabited the island. (OTL: The Sierra Maestra range)
** '''Qibah''' - A mountain in the southeast of the island, the highest peak on the island. Named for the indigenous word for "stone mountain." (OTL: Pico Turquino)

==Settlements==

===Major communities===

* [[Mansurat al-Gharbiyah]]
* [[Mursat al-Fajr]]
* [[Nasriyyah]] - The main port on Al-Gattas in the 1300s and early 1400s and a key waystation for ships trading with the mainland.

===Others===

* [[Bayamah]]
* [[Burj 'Aybad]]
* [[Istijah]]
* [[Jiwanah]]
* [[As-Sandan]]
* [[Yarah]]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Pearl Islands]][[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]]</text>
    <sha1>f540412b68b9427925000a3c26ad8878414a496d</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea</title>
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  <id>9</id>
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    <id>111</id>
    <parentid>16</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:53:05Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="66" xml:space="preserve">[[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]]</text>
    <sha1>407650e02f4a73aad57409b0f2805cce0f1877bb</sha1>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Al-Andalus</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
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    <id>112</id>
    <parentid>79</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:53:39Z</timestamp>
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      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Al-Andalus&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
Al-Andalus is home to many different languages, due to its position as the intermediary between Europe and Africa, and of the Christian and Muslim worlds. It is generally divided between the Latinate north and the Arabic/Berber south as the north of Al-Andalus is mostly Christian and therefore not as Arabized as the south. The major exception to this is Mozarabic, a Latinate language spoken by Christian Andalusi and some Muslims in the south of the peninsula, although it is a minority language compared to Andalusi Arabic. Berber also has a considerable influence in the region due to Berber migrants into Al-Andalus, although many Berbers also speak Arabic, albeit in a different dialect. Basque also exists in the region of Navarre, being a language isolate unrelated to the Latinate, Arabic, and Berber language families.
* '''Semitic:'''
** [[Andalusi Arabic]]
** [[Maghrebi Arabic]]
* '''Berber:'''
** [[Berber / Tamazight]]
* '''Latinate:'''
** [[Mozarabic]]
** [[Galician]]
** [[Leonese]]
** [[Castilian]]
* '''Other:'''
** [[Basque]]

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations in Europe]]</text>
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  <title>Category:Locations in Europe</title>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T03:53:52Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:Locations]]"</comment>
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  <title>Main Page</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
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    <parentid>93</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T04:14:38Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <text bytes="1375" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that MiaJwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] ~ Technology&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1482.png|center|1000px]]</text>
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  <title>File:WuDynastyMap.png</title>
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    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Denliner uploaded a new version of [[File:WuDynastyMap.png]]</comment>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Wu dynasty</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>28</id>
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    <id>123</id>
    <parentid>65</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T06:22:25Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Wu dynasty map</comment>
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    <text bytes="1616" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:WuDynastyMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Wu dynasty&lt;br&gt;and its tributaries by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Wu dynasty''' was the ruling dynasty of [[Zhongguo]] from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Saqlabid Emirate</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>49</id>
  <revision>
    <id>125</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T14:40:24Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>4</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Saqlabid Emirate
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1062 - 1246
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|200px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:|center|250px]]''Map of the Saqlabid Emirate at its founding''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Córdoba
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* placeholder (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* placeholder (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Middle Ages&lt;/small&gt;
|
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Umayyad Caliphate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
|}


The Saqlabid Emirate was a period in which politics in Al-Andalus were dominated by the slave-soldier caste known as the Saqaliba.

The period known as the Rule of the Slaves marked a significant political transition in Islamic Iberia. The previously dominant ideology of Arab supremacy, long embodied by the Umayyad bloodline, began to fade as the nominal caliph in Córdoba was sidelined by his own ghilman, the military caste of Saqaliba. These slave-soldiers overcame stiff Arab-Andalusian opposition in part by winning popular support among native converts through tax policy: Where the Umayyads had continued to treat natives as third-class citizens, sometimes even applying the jizya to new converts as though they were still Christian, the Saqaliba agreed to no longer pursue this.</text>
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  <title>Umayyad Caliphate</title>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T14:49:21Z</timestamp>
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    <comment>Created page with "The Banu Umayya (Arabic: بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ‎, romanized: Banū Umayya, lit. 'Sons of Umayya') or Umayyads (الأمويون), were the ruling family of the Muslim..."</comment>
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    <text bytes="1905" xml:space="preserve">The Banu Umayya (Arabic: بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ‎, romanized: Banū Umayya, lit. 'Sons of Umayya') or Umayyads (الأمويون), were the ruling family of the Muslim caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Islamic Spain between 756 and 1062. In the pre-Islamic period, they were a prominent clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, descended from Umayya ibn Abd Shams. Despite staunch opposition to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Umayyads embraced Islam before the latter's death in 632. A member of the clan, Uthman, went on to become the third Rashidun caliph in 644–656, while other members held various governorships. One of these governors, Mu'awiya I, after the assassination of Ali ibn Abi talib in 661 and established the Umayyad Caliphate with its capital in Damascus, Syria. This marked the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, the first hereditary dynasty in the history of Islam, and the only one to rule over the entire Islamic world of its time.

The Sufyanid line founded by Mu'awiya failed in 683 and Umayyad authority was challenged in the Second Muslim Civil War, but the dynasty ultimately prevailed under Marwan I, who founded the Marwanid line of Umayyad caliphs. The Umayyads drove on the early Muslim conquests, including North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, and Sindh, but the constant warfare exhausted the state's military resources, while Alid revolts and tribal rivalries weakened the regime from within. Finally, in 750 the Abbasid Revolution overthrew Caliph Marwan II and massacred most of the family. One of the survivors, Abd al-Rahman, a grandson of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, escaped to Muslim Spain (al-Andalus), where he founded the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba, which Abd al-Rahman III elevated to the status of a caliphate in 929. eventually, Caliphal authority would fade during the 11th century and would be "delegated" to a series of military rulers.</text>
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    <text bytes="2052" xml:space="preserve">The Banu Umayya (Arabic: بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ‎, romanized: Banū Umayya, lit. 'Sons of Umayya') or Umayyads (الأمويون), were the ruling family of the Muslim caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Islamic Spain between 756 and 1062. In the pre-Islamic period, they were a prominent clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, descended from Umayya ibn Abd Shams. Despite staunch opposition to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Umayyads embraced Islam before the latter's death in 632. A member of the clan, Uthman, went on to become the third Rashidun caliph in 644–656, while other members held various governorships. One of these governors, Mu'awiya I, after the assassination of Ali ibn Abi talib in 661 and established the Umayyad Caliphate with its capital in Damascus, Syria. This marked the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, the first hereditary dynasty in the history of Islam, and the only one to rule over the entire Islamic world of its time.

The Sufyanid line founded by Mu'awiya failed in 683 and Umayyad authority was challenged in the Second Muslim Civil War, but the dynasty ultimately prevailed under Marwan I, who founded the Marwanid line of Umayyad caliphs. The Umayyads drove on the early Muslim conquests, including North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, and Sindh, but the constant warfare exhausted the state's military resources, while Alid revolts and tribal rivalries weakened the regime from within. Finally, in 750 the Abbasid Revolution overthrew Caliph Marwan II and massacred most of the family. One of the survivors, Abd al-Rahman, a grandson of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, escaped to Muslim Spain (al-Andalus), where he founded the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba, which Abd al-Rahman III elevated to the status of a caliphate in 929. eventually, Caliphal authority would fade during the 11th-12th centuries and would be "delegated" to a series of military rulers. while the Umayyad Dynasty would legally continue to hold authority after this point, de facto they were powerless figureheads of the Hajibs</text>
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    <id>128</id>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T15:19:04Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة&lt;br&gt;al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 661 - 750 &lt;br&gt; 929 - 1062
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Umayyad Caliphate by 750 AD''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Second Umayyad Caliphate by 929 AD''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;/small&gt;
| Damascus (661-750) &lt;br&gt; Qurtuba (929-1062)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Arabic • Greek • Coptic • Persian • African Romance • Berber • Aramaic • Mozarabic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Sunni Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy &lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph (661-750):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Muwaiya I (first)
* Marwan I
* Umar I
* Hisham I
* Marwan II (last)
'''Caliph (929-1062):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Abd ar-Rahman III (first)
* Al-Hakam II
* Hisham II
* Al-Muntasir 
* Muhammad II
* Abdullah (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;High Middle Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Muwaiya I becomes Caliph &lt;small&gt;660&lt;/small&gt;
* Abbasid Revolution &lt;small&gt;750&lt;/small&gt;
* Abd ar-Rahman III restores the Caliphate &lt;small&gt;929&lt;/small&gt;
* Fitna of Al-Andalus &lt;small&gt;1060&lt;/small&gt;
* Rule of the Slaves &lt;small&gt;1062&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Rashidun Caliphate
* [[Visigothic Kingdom]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Umayyad Emirate]]
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|}

The Banu Umayya (Arabic: بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ‎, romanized: Banū Umayya, lit. 'Sons of Umayya') or Umayyads (الأمويون), were the ruling family of the Muslim caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Islamic Spain between 756 and 1062. In the pre-Islamic period, they were a prominent clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, descended from Umayya ibn Abd Shams. Despite staunch opposition to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Umayyads embraced Islam before the latter's death in 632. A member of the clan, Uthman, went on to become the third Rashidun caliph in 644–656, while other members held various governorships. One of these governors, Mu'awiya I, after the assassination of Ali ibn Abi Talib in 661 and established the '''Umayyad Caliphate''' with its capital in Damascus, Syria. This marked the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, the first hereditary dynasty in the history of Islam, and the only one to rule over the entire Islamic world of its time.

The Sufyanid line founded by Mu'awiya failed in 683 and Umayyad authority was challenged in the Second Muslim Civil War, but the dynasty ultimately prevailed under Marwan I, who founded the Marwanid line of Umayyad caliphs. The Umayyads drove on the early Muslim conquests, including North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, and Sindh, but the constant warfare exhausted the state's military resources, while Alid revolts and tribal rivalries weakened the regime from within. Finally, in 750 the Abbasid Revolution overthrew Caliph Marwan II and massacred most of the family. One of the survivors, Abd al-Rahman, a grandson of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, escaped to Muslim Spain ([[Al-Andalus]]), where he founded the [[Umayyad Emirate]] in Córdoba, which Abd al-Rahman III elevated to the status of a caliphate in 929. eventually, Caliphal authority would fade during the 11th-12th centuries and would be "delegated" to a series of military rulers. while the [[Umayyad dynasty]] would legally continue to hold authority after this point, de facto they were powerless figureheads of the Hajibs.</text>
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  <title>File:Asmarid Kingdom Map 1250.png</title>
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  <id>51</id>
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    <text bytes="59" xml:space="preserve">Map of the Territory controlled by the asmarids around 1250</text>
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  <title>Asmarid Kingdom</title>
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  <revision>
    <id>131</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T15:31:37Z</timestamp>
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    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Kingdom
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1334 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Asmarid Kingdom Map 1250.png|thumb|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Kingdom around 1250''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| Fes
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Maghrebi Arabic • Berber
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
|	Hereditary monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Ibn Asmar (First)

* Al-Nasr (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Middle Ages-Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iban Asmar assumes rule of the Maghreb &lt;small&gt;1334&lt;/small&gt;
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Asmarid Dinar
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Rezkids]]
* [[Sanhajas]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
the Asmarid Kingdom was founded by Ibn Asmar, Emir of Sale, after his defeating of the Blue Army. after his victory Ibn Asmar was recognized as the only legitimate choice to rule the Maghreb and was hailed as rightful King as he continued on a grinding campaign to eject the Blue Army from Maghrebi land.</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Kingdom
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1334 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Asmarid Kingdom Map 1250.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Kingdom around 1250''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| Fes
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Maghrebi Arabic • Berber
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
|	Hereditary monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Ibn Asmar (First)

* Al-Nasr (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Middle Ages-Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iban Asmar assumes rule of the Maghreb &lt;small&gt;1334&lt;/small&gt;
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Asmarid Dinar
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Rezkids]]
* [[Sanhajas]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
the Asmarid Kingdom was founded by Ibn Asmar, Emir of Sale, after his defeating of the Blue Army. after his victory Ibn Asmar was recognized as the only legitimate choice to rule the Maghreb and was hailed as rightful King as he continued on a grinding campaign to eject the Blue Army from Maghrebi land.</text>
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    <id>133</id>
    <parentid>132</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T15:35:49Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Kingdom
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1334 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Asmarid Kingdom Map 1250.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Kingdom around 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| Fes
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Maghrebi Arabic • Berber
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
|	Hereditary monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Ibn Asmar (First)

* Al-Nasr (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Middle Ages-Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iban Asmar assumes rule of the Maghreb &lt;small&gt;1334&lt;/small&gt;
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Asmarid Dinar
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Rezkids]]
* [[Sanhajas]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}
the Asmarid Kingdom was founded by Ibn Asmar, Emir of Sale, after his defeating of the Blue Army. after his victory Ibn Asmar was recognized as the only legitimate choice to rule the Maghreb and was hailed as rightful King as he continued on a grinding campaign to eject the Blue Army from Maghrebi land.</text>
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  <title>File:Santiagomap 1387.png</title>
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    <text bytes="26" xml:space="preserve">map of santiago circa 1387</text>
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  <title>File:Santiago banner.png</title>
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    <text bytes="18" xml:space="preserve">banner of santiago</text>
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  <title>File:Placeholder santiago.png</title>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Kingdom of Santiago</title>
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    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Santiago
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:santiago banner.png|center|150px]]Royal banner of Santiago throughout most of the Middle Ages
| align="center" | [[image:Placeholder santiago.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''"Brytenwongas is rôw hêr"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is quiet here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Santiago in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Santiago
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Santiagan • Galician • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Santiagan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Santiago
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:santiago banner.png|center|150px]]Royal banner of Santiago throughout most of the Middle Ages
| align="center" | [[image:Placeholder santiago.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Santiago in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Santiago
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Santiagan • Galician • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Santiagan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Santiago
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:santiago banner.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Santiago throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:Placeholder santiago.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Santiago in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Santiago
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Santiagan • Galician • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Santiagan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Santiago
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:santiago banner.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Santiago throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:Placeholder santiago.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Santiago in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Santiago
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Santiagan • Galician • Castilian • Latin (Written)
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Santiagan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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  <title>File:Pamplona.png</title>
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  <title>File:PamplonaCoa.png</title>
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    <text bytes="21" xml:space="preserve">pamplona coat of arms</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Kingdom of Navarre</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>59</id>
  <revision>
    <id>142</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T17:12:36Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1p..."</comment>
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    <text bytes="1358" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Pamplona
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |  - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:pamplona.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Pamplona throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:PamplonaCoa.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Pamplona in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Pamplona
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Basque • Latin (Written) • Navarro-Aragonese • Castilian 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Pamplonan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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  <revision>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T17:16:31Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Pamplona
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |  - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:pamplona.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Pamplona throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:PamplonaCoa.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Pamplona map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Pamplona in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Pamplona
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Basque • Latin (Written) • Navarro-Aragonese • Castilian 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Pamplonan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:19:23Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <minor/>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Kingdom of Pamplona]] to [[Kingdom of Navarre]]: Navarre is the better name of the Basque kingdom, since it was used more often in MiaJ and the wiki page seems to make very little distinction between Pamplona and Navarre</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Pamplona
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |  - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:pamplona.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Pamplona throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:PamplonaCoa.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Pamplona map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Pamplona in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Pamplona
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Basque • Latin (Written) • Navarro-Aragonese • Castilian 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Pamplonan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Placeholder]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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  <title>File:Pamplona map.png</title>
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    <text bytes="22" xml:space="preserve">pamplon map circa 1387</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Guillermo del Toro</title>
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  <revision>
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    <contributor>
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      <id>4</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "Guillermo del Toro is widely considered the first true Normando king of Santiago. He spoke both Old Gallaecian and Norman French, incorporated both Norman and Gallaecian tradi..."</comment>
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    <text bytes="548" xml:space="preserve">Guillermo del Toro is widely considered the first true Normando king of Santiago. He spoke both Old Gallaecian and Norman French, incorporated both Norman and Gallaecian traditions into his rule, and introduced the scallop-shell banner to Santiago. He marks the beginning of the process by which the Normans were absorbed into Gallaecian culture and language, both reforming and modernizing political and social life and separating it from its Old Iberian roots as new "Normando" ways became facts of life for the common people of Christian Iberia.</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>150</id>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:20:18Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Guillermo del Toro
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1091 - 1143
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''King of Santiago'''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Del Toro placeholder until I learn photoshop.jpg|center|250px]]''romanticized Portrait by [   ], 1824''
|-
! align="left" | Reign
| 1111-1143
|-
! align="left" | Born
| 1091
|-
! align="left" | Died
| 1143
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

Guillermo del Toro is widely considered the first true Normando king of Santiago. He spoke both Old Gallaecian and Norman French, incorporated both Norman and Gallaecian traditions into his rule, and introduced the scallop-shell banner to Santiago. He marks the beginning of the process by which the Normans were absorbed into Gallaecian culture and language, both reforming and modernizing political and social life and separating it from its Old Iberian roots as new "Normando" ways became facts of life for the common people of Christian Iberia.</text>
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  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>62</id>
  <revision>
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    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:18:57Z</timestamp>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022033710|101">
  <title>Kingdom of Pamplona</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>63</id>
  <revision>
    <id>149</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:19:23Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner moved page [[Kingdom of Pamplona]] to [[Kingdom of Navarre]]: Navarre is the better name of the Basque kingdom, since it was used more often in MiaJ and the wiki page seems to make very little distinction between Pamplona and Navarre</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="32" xml:space="preserve">#REDIRECT [[Kingdom of Navarre]]</text>
    <sha1>6c707e57f054e290b0a77f1f5c9b7f3fd3c63974</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>User talk:Denliner</title>
  <ns>3</ns>
  <id>64</id>
  <revision>
    <id>151</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:23:09Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "pamplona is the canon name on all the maps"</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="42" xml:space="preserve">pamplona is the canon name on all the maps</text>
    <sha1>80de92f3f31a0064896b79d8fd5266d8b13930e9</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Kingdom of Navarre</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>59</id>
  <revision>
    <id>152</id>
    <parentid>148</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:27:35Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1579" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Navarre&lt;br&gt;''Nafarroako Erresuma&lt;br&gt;Reino de Navarra&lt;br&gt;Royaume de Navarre&lt;br&gt;Regnum Navarre&lt;br&gt;مملكة نافار''  
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |  - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:pamplona.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Navarre throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:PamplonaCoa.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Pamplona map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Navarre in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Pamplona
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Basque • Latin (Written) • Navarro-Aragonese • Castilian 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Foundation of the Kingdom
* Personal Union with Aquitaine
* War of Navarrese Succession
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Navarran Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Duchy of Vasconia (Caroliginian Empire)
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
    <sha1>3eab9d7dc2cdd37f2a25a00b8109405aa7135232</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>154</id>
    <parentid>152</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:33:07Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1613" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Navarre&lt;br&gt;''Nafarroako Erresuma&lt;br&gt;Reino de Navarra&lt;br&gt;Royaume de Navarre&lt;br&gt;Regnum Navarre&lt;br&gt;مملكة نافار''  
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 821 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:pamplona.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Navarre throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:PamplonaCoa.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Pamplona map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Navarre in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Pamplona
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Basque • Latin (Written) • Navarro-Aragonese • Castilian 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Placeholder (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Foundation of the Kingdom
* Personal Union with Aquitaine
* Aquitanian-Andalusian War
* War of Navarrese Succession
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Navarran Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Duchy of Vasconia (Caroliginian Empire)
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>User talk:Crazymachines</title>
  <ns>3</ns>
  <id>65</id>
  <revision>
    <id>153</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:30:16Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "The name Kingdom of Navarre was used in the majority of mapdates starting from 1176 or 1021 so that's my reasoning behind the move. In addition, the wikipage links to the King..."</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="294" xml:space="preserve">The name Kingdom of Navarre was used in the majority of mapdates starting from 1176 or 1021 so that's my reasoning behind the move.
In addition, the wikipage links to the Kingdom of Navarre in OTL and not Pamplona, which was an earlier name of the kingdom and not a separate entity.

- Denliner</text>
    <sha1>394b53bd03a39e77cefc7c78e7042617fb8e9b05</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>155</id>
    <parentid>153</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:33:47Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="311" xml:space="preserve">The name Kingdom of Navarre was used in the majority of mapdates starting from 1176 or 1021 so that's my reasoning behind the move.
In addition, the wikipedia for the country links to the Kingdom of Navarre in OTL and not Pamplona, which was an earlier name of the kingdom and not a separate entity.

- Denliner</text>
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  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Kingdom of Santiago</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>56</id>
  <revision>
    <id>156</id>
    <parentid>145</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:37:17Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="1385" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Santiago
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - 1479
|-
| align="center" | [[image:santiago banner.png|center|150px]] ''Royal banner of Santiago throughout most of the Middle Ages''
| align="center" | [[image:Placeholder santiago.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[File:Santiagomap 1387.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Santiago in the year 1387''
|-
! align="left" | Capital&lt;small&gt; And largest city&lt;/small&gt;
| Santiago de Compostela
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Galician • Castilian • Leonese • Latin (Written)
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Placeholder (First)
* Bermudo V (Last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* [[Treaty of Xavier]]
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Santiagan Denier (and others)
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Kingdom of Leon]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}</text>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Guillermo del Toro</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>61</id>
  <revision>
    <id>157</id>
    <parentid>150</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-22T19:41:25Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="1385" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Guillermo del Toro
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1091 - 1143
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''King of Santiago'''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Del Toro placeholder until I learn photoshop.jpg|center|250px]]''romanticized Portrait by [   ], 1824''
|-
! align="left" | Reign
| 1111-1143
|-
! align="left" | Born
| 1091
|-
! align="left" | Died
| 1143
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

Guillermo del Toro is widely considered the first true Normando king of Santiago. He spoke both Old Gallaecian and Norman French, incorporated both Norman and Gallaecian traditions into his rule, and introduced the scallop-shell banner to Santiago. He marks the beginning of the process by which the Normans were absorbed into Gallaecian culture and language, both reforming and modernizing political and social life and separating it from its Old Iberian roots as new "Normando" ways became facts of life for the common people of Christian Iberia.

[[Category:Rulers]]</text>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>File:UmayyadCaliphateMap.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>66</id>
  <revision>
    <id>158</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T01:41:46Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="0" xml:space="preserve"></text>
    <sha1>da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709</sha1>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Umayyad Caliphate</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>50</id>
  <revision>
    <id>159</id>
    <parentid>128</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T01:43:05Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="4056" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة&lt;br&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 661 - 750 &lt;br&gt; 929 - 1062
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Umayyad Caliphate by 750 AD''
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:SecondUmayyadCaliphateMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Second Umayyad Caliphate by 929 AD''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;/small&gt;
| Damascus (661-750) &lt;br&gt; Qurtuba (929-1062)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Arabic • Greek • Coptic • Persian • African Romance • Berber • Aramaic • Mozarabic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Sunni Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy &lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph (661-750):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Muwaiya I (first)
* Marwan I
* Umar I
* Hisham I
* Marwan II (last)
'''Caliph (929-1062):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Abd ar-Rahman III (first)
* Al-Hakam II
* Hisham II
* Al-Muntasir 
* Muhammad II
* Abdullah (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;High Middle Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Muwaiya I becomes Caliph &lt;small&gt;660&lt;/small&gt;
* Abbasid Revolution &lt;small&gt;750&lt;/small&gt;
* Abd ar-Rahman III restores the Caliphate &lt;small&gt;929&lt;/small&gt;
* Fitna of Al-Andalus &lt;small&gt;1060&lt;/small&gt;
* Rule of the Slaves &lt;small&gt;1062&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Rashidun Caliphate
* [[Visigothic Kingdom]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Umayyad Emirate]]
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|}

The Banu Umayya (Arabic: بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ‎, romanized: Banū Umayya, lit. 'Sons of Umayya') or Umayyads (الأمويون), were the ruling family of the Muslim caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Islamic Spain between 756 and 1062. In the pre-Islamic period, they were a prominent clan of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, descended from Umayya ibn Abd Shams. Despite staunch opposition to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the Umayyads embraced Islam before the latter's death in 632. A member of the clan, Uthman, went on to become the third Rashidun caliph in 644–656, while other members held various governorships. One of these governors, Mu'awiya I, after the assassination of Ali ibn Abi Talib in 661 and established the '''Umayyad Caliphate''' with its capital in Damascus, Syria. This marked the beginning of the Umayyad dynasty, the first hereditary dynasty in the history of Islam, and the only one to rule over the entire Islamic world of its time.

The Sufyanid line founded by Mu'awiya failed in 683 and Umayyad authority was challenged in the Second Muslim Civil War, but the dynasty ultimately prevailed under Marwan I, who founded the Marwanid line of Umayyad caliphs. The Umayyads drove on the early Muslim conquests, including North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, and Sindh, but the constant warfare exhausted the state's military resources, while Alid revolts and tribal rivalries weakened the regime from within. Finally, in 750 the Abbasid Revolution overthrew Caliph Marwan II and massacred most of the family. One of the survivors, Abd al-Rahman, a grandson of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, escaped to Muslim Spain ([[Al-Andalus]]), where he founded the [[Umayyad Emirate]] in Córdoba, which Abd al-Rahman III elevated to the status of a caliphate in 929. eventually, Caliphal authority would fade during the 11th-12th centuries and would be "delegated" to a series of military rulers. while the [[Umayyad dynasty]] would legally continue to hold authority after this point, de facto they were powerless figureheads of the Hajibs.</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>19</id>
  <revision>
    <id>160</id>
    <parentid>120</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T15:39:36Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>First Anglo-Asmarid War</comment>
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    <text bytes="12055" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the Kingdom of Angland and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the War of Navarrese Succession. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>f197c3caa4ec5781d2be9c524a2c18ea2a1f0323</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>161</id>
    <parentid>160</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T15:45:25Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>/* First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="12056" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the Kingdom of Angland and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the War of Navarrese Succession. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.

===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>5289c616f52c8a9a21470480ba3d119d7afbe190</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>163</id>
    <parentid>161</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T19:09:01Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="12064" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It is the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.

===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some authority, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to these Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought or leased from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>6623212f9f2f5c2b8ee9a64c6eb29e749936fe68</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>164</id>
    <parentid>163</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T21:01:30Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Demographics, Ethnic Groups, and Religion</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="13328" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.

===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]
===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow Sunni Islam, although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as Western Islam, as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the Mozarabs, who follow the Visigothic Rite, the Roman Catholics in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the Anicetians who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, Judaism is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>52aa23c95df49f9eab339c40fd72b6d637f79ac2</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>165</id>
    <parentid>164</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T21:03:54Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Demographics */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="13405" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.

===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]
===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>35be48973a66524c1ace58c9f8263b9613047326</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>166</id>
    <parentid>165</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-23T21:09:07Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="13411" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.

===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 
===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]
===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>d30615e8b227edaa908713d38c58059fa398ce0e</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>169</id>
    <parentid>166</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-30T01:59:41Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="17282" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam • Roman Catholicism • Anicetianism • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, maintained contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>42be47a6385f1c32f1e69fc5781174b72e72c2c9</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>170</id>
    <parentid>169</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-30T02:01:48Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Mostly finished with the Asmarid Empire page.</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="17302" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Islam]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, maintained contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>0ec09dd7331f4d362eb573cc788c12c0bf677dad</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>171</id>
    <parentid>170</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-10-30T02:04:48Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>/* Culture */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="17303" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Islam]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, maintained contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>aa80656d137b984a2cfad299e9612751541f1aad</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>175</id>
    <parentid>171</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T09:37:35Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>/* Culture */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="17302" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Islam]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>da151b0de7df128ec222fa30feb50940a9790448</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>180</id>
    <parentid>175</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T10:29:28Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
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    <model>wikitext</model>
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    <text bytes="17393" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah&lt;br&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Islam]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473-1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="17391" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - )===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>7505d5bf60430ceb426b2af9f6e166877fee9824</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>184</id>
    <parentid>183</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-08T23:09:16Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* The Meridian War (1489 - ) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="18825" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - )===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Apulia]], sparking the Meridian War.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>e1870feb9f68a27212af4f1baf1a884cd1840ad3</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>185</id>
    <parentid>184</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T05:17:33Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="18967" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - )===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Apulia]], sparking the Meridian War.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Al-Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Al-Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Al-Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Katalunya]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
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    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="18958" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - )===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Apulia]], sparking the Meridian War.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Katalunya]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>2f13dcc6b07167714f2e1d905ee39b9a45ea531b</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>188</id>
    <parentid>187</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T05:28:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="18958" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - )===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Apulia]], sparking the Meridian War.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>50aaf609a1e7630c59d9a58ccb101eddfb0ef119</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>189</id>
    <parentid>188</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T11:59:47Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* The Meridian War (1489 - ) */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="21146" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Islam]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <comment>/* Religion */</comment>
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    <text bytes="21146" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>4949e99dbfddb122c8de2c805f5a6f3353b77bb7</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>192</id>
    <parentid>190</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T12:16:35Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="21174" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portucale]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>c8c1e7e2493d93590917f9d6bf56f92355be8b41</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>193</id>
    <parentid>192</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T12:17:32Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="21173" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="21778" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the Blue Army Crisis in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="21782" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Xarq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
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    <text bytes="21783" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, as well as bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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  <title>Anglo Saxon England</title>
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      <username>63.145.24.90</username>
      <id>0</id>
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    <comment>Created page with "Anglo-Saxon England was early medieval England, existing from the 5th to the 11th centuries from the end of Roman Britain until the Danish conquest in 1007. It consisted of va..."</comment>
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    <text bytes="1361" xml:space="preserve">Anglo-Saxon England was early medieval England, existing from the 5th to the 11th centuries from the end of Roman Britain until the Danish conquest in 1007. It consisted of various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms until 927 when it was united as the Kingdom of England by King Æthelstan (r. 927–939). It became part of the Domain of Cnut the Rich, a personal union between Angland, Denmark and Norway in the 11th century.

The Anglo-Saxons were the members of Germanic-speaking groups who migrated to the southern half of the island of Great Britain from nearby northwestern Europe. Anglo-Saxon history thus begins during the period of sub-Roman Britain following the end of Roman control, and traces the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th and 6th centuries (conventionally identified as seven main kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex), their Christianisation during the 7th century, the threat of Viking invasions and Danish settlers, the gradual unification of England under the Wessex hegemony during the 9th and 10th centuries, and ending with the Danish conquest of England by Sweyn Forkbeard in 1007.

Anglo-Saxon identity survived beyond the Danish conquest, which came to be known as Anglishry. through social and cultural integration with the Celts and the Danes It would become the modern Anglish Identity.</text>
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  <title>Ar-Rumaniyah</title>
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    <id>167</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-26T01:41:17Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <comment>Created Ar-Rumaniyah page, please add a good arabic translation since it might not be completely accurate</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Ar-Rumaniyah&lt;br&gt;رُومَانِيَا‎&lt;br&gt;Rhomania&lt;br&gt;Ῥωμανία
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 476 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southeastern Europe / Middle East
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Bataid Empire]] (1282 onward)
|}

'''Ar-Rumaniyah''' is the Arabic name for '''Rhomania''', a Greek term for the territories of both [[Hellas]] and [[Anatolia]], where it is considered to be the heartland of the Roman Empire and the Roman people ever since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. After the fall of the West due to Germanic invasions, the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] continued to persevere as the continuation of the old Classical Roman Empire, although it grew to abandon Latin customs as it slowly Hellenized over time. Eventually the Eastern Roman Empire would collapse in 1198 in the wake of the Great Plague at the hands of Bouchras, a [[Pecheneg]] warlord, although he was swiftly replaced the Kaysars of the [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]], who also became Hellenized over time. Eventually the Turkmen were taken over in a coup led by a general named [[Iskender Bata]], founding the [[Bataid Empire]].


==Etymology==
==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
===Early Modern Period===
==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Locations in Europe]][[Category:Locations in Asia]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Ar-Rumaniyah&lt;br&gt;رُومَانِيَا‎&lt;br&gt;Rhomania&lt;br&gt;Ῥωμανία
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 476 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" |
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southeastern Europe / Middle East
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Bataid Empire]] (1282 onward)
|}

'''Ar-Rumaniyah''' is the Arabic name for '''Rhomania''', a Greek term for the territories of both [[Hellas]] and [[Anatolia]], where it is considered to be the heartland of the Roman Empire and the Roman people ever since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. After the fall of the West due to Germanic invasions, the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] continued to persevere as the continuation of the old Classical Roman Empire, although it grew to abandon Latin customs as it slowly Hellenized over time. Eventually the Eastern Roman Empire would collapse in 1198 in the wake of the Great Plague at the hands of Bouchras, a [[Pecheneg]] warlord, although he was swiftly replaced the Kaysars of the [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]]. Eventually the Turkmen were taken over in a coup led by a general named [[Iskender Bata]], founding the [[Bataid Empire]].

==Etymology==
==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
===Early Modern Period===
==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Locations in Europe]][[Category:Locations in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>47d934dba7f11c34326464c1b34c1c46b0616d8a</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>191</id>
    <parentid>186</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-15T12:12:44Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Added image for Rhomania/Rumaniyah</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Ar-Rumaniyah&lt;br&gt;رُومَانِيَا‎&lt;br&gt;Rhomania&lt;br&gt;Ῥωμανία
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 476 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:2002 satellite picture of Turkey and Greece.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southeastern Europe / Middle East
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Bataid Empire]] (1282 onward)
|}

'''Ar-Rumaniyah''' is the Arabic name for '''Rhomania''', a Greek term for the territories of both [[Hellas]] and [[Anatolia]], where it is considered to be the heartland of the Roman Empire and the Roman people ever since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. After the fall of the West due to Germanic invasions, the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] continued to persevere as the continuation of the old Classical Roman Empire, although it grew to abandon Latin customs as it slowly Hellenized over time. Eventually the Eastern Roman Empire would collapse in 1198 in the wake of the Great Plague at the hands of Bouchras, a [[Pecheneg]] warlord, although he was swiftly replaced the Kaysars of the [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]]. Eventually the Turkmen were taken over in a coup led by a general named [[Iskender Bata]], founding the [[Bataid Empire]].

==Etymology==
==History==
===Classical Period===
===Middle Period===
===Early Modern Period===
==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==

[[Category:Locations in Europe]][[Category:Locations in Asia]]</text>
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  <title>Category:Locations in Asia</title>
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    <id>168</id>
    <timestamp>2020-10-26T02:45:54Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Created page with "[[Category:Locations]]"</comment>
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  <ns>6</ns>
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    <id>172</id>
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  <title>Kingdom of Romania</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>71</id>
  <revision>
    <id>173</id>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T09:28:53Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Kingdom of Romania page</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Marselha
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Bataid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>16</id>
  <revision>
    <id>174</id>
    <parentid>67</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T09:36:27Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Roman Empire &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων (Greek)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;الإمبراطورية الرومانية (Arabic)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Imperium Romanum (Latin)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| [[Image:BataidEmpireFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Bataid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Constantinople
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Greek • Arabic • Turkmen • Patzinak 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Eastern Islam • Greek Orthodoxy • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaysar):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Iskender Bata (first)
* Al-Mansour
* Al-Mansour II
* Abdullah Arslan
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iskender's Coup &lt;small&gt;1282&lt;/small&gt;
* Takeover of the Abbasids &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]]
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Hashemite Kingdom]]
* [[Eastern Roman Empire]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Bataid Empire''' was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of [[Ar-Rumaniyah]]. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits. Similar to the previous Orthodox-led [[Eastern Roman Empire]], it saw itself as the legitimate Roman Empire over claimants such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the [[Kingdom of Romania]].

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==

[[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]][[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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    <id>176</id>
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    <timestamp>2020-11-01T10:29:01Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Denliner uploaded a new version of [[File:HRECoatofArms.png]]</comment>
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<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Holy Roman Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>32</id>
  <revision>
    <id>178</id>
    <parentid>69</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T10:18:15Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Added flag of the HRE + Geroldseck Coat of Arms</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:HolyRomanEmpireFlag.png|center|175px]] Flag
| align="center" | [[Image:HRECoatofArms.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;House of Geroldseck&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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    <parentid>178</parentid>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:HolyRomanEmpireFlag.png|center|175px]] Flag
| align="center" | [[Image:HRECoatofArms.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;House of Geroldseck&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
* [[Kingdom of Arles]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>b95a679abdebddb7a6a9523693dd9fe711021edd</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>182</id>
    <parentid>181</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-11-01T10:34:11Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:HolyRomanEmpireFlag.png|center|175px]] Flag
| align="center" | [[Image:HRECoatofArms.png|center|125px]]Coat of Arms&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;House of Geroldseck&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
* [[Kingdom of Arles]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>9ff84d9e38025ce5fd02ebddba35afe88be412e1</sha1>
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</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201022192309|151">
  <title>Al-Andalus</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>3</id>
  <revision>
    <id>197</id>
    <parentid>112</parentid>
    <timestamp>2020-12-22T04:57:48Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="11552" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Al-Andalus&lt;br&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎ (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
Al-Andalus is home to many different languages, due to its position as the intermediary between Europe and Africa, and of the Christian and Muslim worlds. It is generally divided between the Latinate north and the Arabic/Berber south as the north of Al-Andalus is mostly Christian and therefore not as Arabized as the south. The major exception to this is Mozarabic, a Latinate language spoken by Christian Andalusi and some Muslims in the south of the peninsula, although it is a minority language compared to Andalusi Arabic. Berber also has a considerable influence in the region due to Berber migrants into Al-Andalus, although many Berbers also speak Arabic, albeit in a different dialect. Basque also exists in the region of Navarre, being a language isolate unrelated to the Latinate, Arabic, and Berber language families.
* '''Semitic:'''
** [[Andalusi Arabic]]
** [[Maghrebi Arabic]]
* '''Berber:'''
** [[Berber / Tamazight]]
* '''Latinate:'''
** [[Mozarabic]]
** [[Galician]]
** [[Leonese]]
** [[Castilian]]
* '''Other:'''
** [[Basque]]

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations in Europe]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Burinkan &lt;br&gt; Bouricane (Anglish) &lt;br&gt; Bourinquen (Taino)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1391 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Burinkan.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Pearl Sea
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Kingdom of Angland]] (1490 onward)
|}

'''Burinkan''', otherwise known as '''Bouricane''' in Anglish, is an island located in the [[Pearl Sea]] of the [[Algarves]], as part of the [[Pearl Islands]] archipelago. Historically populated by the native Taino people for generations, the Taino in Burinkan were first met by the Zahiri Berber zealot named Al-Mansur ibn Yusuf of the Yusufids. After being expelled from the Maghreb in 1390, he was forced to make peace with the natives, agreeing to settle among them in the Khalij as-Salam, or the Bay of Peace. Together the Zahiri Yusufids and the Taino formed an independent emirate in the island, where they were left alone by the Hizamid and later Asmarid governments. 

However, a century after Al-Mansur's landing in Burinkan, the island was swiftly conquered by the daring Anglish pirate [[John Robinred]], claiming the island as part of the [[Kingdom of Angland]] by 1490. 

==Etymology==
Burinkan is the Arabization of the word Borinquen or Boriken, which is the native Taino name for the island, which means "Land of the Valiant Lord". Subsequently, the Anglish word Bouricane is a corruption of the original Andalusi term.
==History==
=== Al-Mansur's Crossing (1390 - 1391) ===
=== John Robinred's Invasion (1490) ===
==Culture==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
[[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Burinkan &lt;br&gt; Bouricane (Anglish) &lt;br&gt; Borinquen (Taino)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1391 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Burinkan.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Pearl Sea
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Kingdom of Angland]] (1490 onward)
|}

'''Burinkan''', otherwise known as '''Bouricane''' in Anglish, is an island located in the [[Pearl Sea]] of the [[Algarves]], as part of the [[Pearl Islands]] archipelago. Historically populated by the native Taino people for generations, the Taino in Burinkan were first met by the Zahiri Berber zealot named Al-Mansur ibn Yusuf of the Yusufids. After being expelled from the Maghreb in 1390, he was forced to make peace with the natives, agreeing to settle among them in the Khalij as-Salam, or the Bay of Peace. Together the Zahiri Yusufids and the Taino formed an independent emirate in the island, where they were left alone by the Hizamid and later Asmarid governments. 

However, a century after Al-Mansur's landing in Burinkan, the island was swiftly conquered by the daring Anglish pirate [[John Robinred]], claiming the island as part of the [[Kingdom of Angland]] by 1490. 

==Etymology==
Burinkan is the Arabization of the word Borinquen or Boriken, which is the native Taino name for the island, which means "Land of the Valiant Lord". Subsequently, the Anglish word Bouricane is a corruption of the original Andalusi term.
==History==
=== Al-Mansur's Crossing (1390 - 1391) ===
=== John Robinred's Invasion (1490) ===
==Culture==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
[[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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  <title>Al-Andalus</title>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Al-Andalus&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;الأَنْدَلُس‎ (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 711 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:España y Portugal.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Southwestern Europe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Thurayah (3,478m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1452 onward)
|}
'''Al-Andalus''' is the Arabic name for the '''Iberian Peninsula''' and the succession of Islamic-dominated states present within it since AD 711. Initially referring primarily to the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, the term "Al-Andalus" may be more broadly applied to the predominantly Christian regions in Gallaecia, Navarre and the Cantabrian Mountains occupied by the Asmarid Empire following the 1470s.

==Etymology==

The etymology of ''al-Andalus'' is somewhat opaque, but may be derived from the name of the Vandals, who occupied the region in the Late Classical Era. The name may also be a derivation of the term ''Atlantic.''

In other European languages, the region is referred to as ''Andalusia'' or ''Andelucia'', depending on the speaker. It may also be casually referred to by Arabic-speakers as ''Andalusiyya''.

==History==
===Classical Period===
Before the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region was occupied by both Iberian and Celtic peoples, as well as settlements belonging to the Carthaginian Empire. In 218 BC, the first Roman troops began to occupy the peninsula during the Second Punic War, but it was not before the rule of Augustus that it was formally annexed into the Roman Empire after years of fighting with local Iberian and Celtic tribes. This resulted in the creation of Hispania: a province in the Roman Empire.

Notable people during this time include the emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Theodosius I, the philosopher Seneca the Younger, and the poets Martial and Lucan.
===Middle Period===
====Visigothic Kingdom====
Roman presence in the peninsula would end when Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Vandals, and later the Visigoths would occupy the peninsula and establish their own kingdoms. In 585, the Suebi would be formally annexed into the Visigothic Kingdom, uniting the peninsula after losing their lands in southern Gaul to the Frankish Kingdom.

Over time, the Germanic peoples integrated with the local Hispano-Romans, becoming the ancestors of the peoples of Al-Andalus such as the Andalusi, Mozarabs, Iberians, and Normando peoples. The Visigoths also converted to Roman Catholicism from Arian Christianity, developing the Visigothic Rite which is still used by Mozarabic churches in the region, as well as paving the way for a permanent Christian presence in the north of the peninsula.

In 711, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad governor of Tanja, invaded the peninsula amidst a succession crisis that happened due to King Witiza's death in 710. In the '''Battle of Guadalete''', the Visigothic King Roderic was killed in the fighting, leading to the total collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom as Muslim troops continued to occupy the peninsula with little resistance. This period is marked as the beginning of Islam in Hispania, now known as Al-Andalus.
====Umayyad Caliphate====
In a seven year period, Tariq ibn Ziyad and Musa ibn Nusayr managed to conquer most of the Peninsula in quick succession for the Umayyad Caliphate, taking over most of the former Visigothic Kingdom's territory including parts of Gaul and Septimania, creating the Wilayah of Al-Andalus. The takeover of Hispania by Umayyad forces caused a migration of Visigoths and other Christians towards the north in the Cantabrian Mountains. In 722, the Visigothic noble Pelagius managed to defeat an Umayyad patrol in the '''Battle of Covadonga''', which led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias as well as sparking the attempted Christian reconquest of the region, initiating the [[Reconquista]].

However, Umayyad fortunes were turned in 732 when an Umayyad army was crushed by the Frankish king Charles Martel in the '''Battle of Tours'''. Although future Umayyad incursions continued into the Frankish kingdom, they never regained their former territories, culminating in the expulsion of the Umayyads from lands north of the Pyrenees. 

Tensions between the Umayyads and their opponents, including non-Arab Muslims and ''dhimmi'' culminated in the '''Abbasid Revolution''' of 747-750, which would completely destroy the Umayyad Caliphate, brutally killing most members of the [[Umayyad dynasty]] in its wake. A survivor of the Revolution, Abd al-Rahman I, fled Damascus and travelled to Al-Andalus to escape the Abbasids, overthrowing the Abbasid governor of Al-Andalus in the process, leading to the founding of the Umayyad Emirate, continuing the dynasty.
====Umayyad Emirate and restoration of the Caliphate====
The new emir Abd al-Rahman I and his successors continued to maintain their rule over Al-Andalus, although the region was often marred by constant rebellions from their Christian or newly converted Muladi subjects as well as assassination attempts from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The rising Frankish Empire under the Carolingians also caused major problems as cities in the north of Al-Andalus fell towards their rule, ending Muslim rule in the area. The Franks soon were bold enough to directly invade the Emirate, although they were pushed back and never made serious incursions into the peninsula again until the Aquitanian-Andalusian War. This period is known as the beginning of the integration of the Umayyad dynasty with the local Hispano-Roman population as the Emirs often took Christians as wives and concubines, leading them to gain their recognized features of blonde hair and blue eyes that the dynasty is known for today.

The Emirate also marked the beginning of the formation of the Andalusi culture, as Al-Andalus became increasingly Arabized from the Umayyads as well as the Abbasids, as Emirs sought to emulate the sophisticated and cultured Caliphate to the east. Immigrants from the Abbasid Caliphate also served to be major influences, such as Ziryab, whose input was invaluable in the development of music, art, cuisine, and fashion in Al-Andalus. However, the emirate slowly disintegrated in the coming years as rebellions continued and the authority of the Emir faded away until Abd al-Rahman III came to the throne. 

Abd al-Rahman III proved to be an exceptionally competent Emir as he managed to force all of the local governors to submit to his rule shortly after his ascension. Soon after, he began to quell the numerous rebellions that took place in the Emirate, including one led by the famous Umar ibn Hafsun. His rule served as the beginning of hiring larger amounts of loyal Saqaliba slave soldiers over the local Berber mercenaries and the Arab junds, which would prove important in the coming decades. Once all of the territories in the Umayyad Emirate recognized the rule of Abd al-Rahman III, he took the title of Caliph for himself in 929, restoring the once defunct Umayyad Caliphate. 
====Saqlabid Emirate====
====Hizamid Emirate====
===Early Modern Period===
====Asmarid Empire====
In 1448, the ''malik'' of the Asmarid Kingdom, Abu Yusuf Amessan ibn Al-Mu'izz Al-Azmari al-Nasr, received a missive from the Umayyad Caliph, Al-Mustamsik, inviting him to take over the position of ''Hajib'' from the Hizamid dynasty, which splintered into several pretenders as they fought for control with the patronage of the merchant families in Al-Andalus. To stop the burgeoning ''fitna'', Al-Nasr landed in Al-Andalus with a massive army and with the support of the Caliph, most of Al-Andalus quickly recognized his rule as the new ''Hajib'' of Al-Andalus, crushing most Hizamid opposition in his way.

This event is generally accepted as the beginning of the [[Asmarid Empire]], a political union of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into a single state. The early Asmarid period is marked by a large growth of urbanization and cosmopolitanism across the Empire, especially in the Maghreb. This growth only pushed Al-Nasr to begin settlement of Andalusi and Berber peoples into the Algarves, migrating towards colonies such as Tirunah, Marayu, Mawana, Al-Gattas, and etc. In addition, trade between Al-Andalus and Sin, as well as Hindustan grew during the early Asmarid period, leading to the rise of Sinophilia amongst the upper classes. 

In the years between 1455-1459, the Asmarid Empire and the Kingdom of Angland's relations began to sour over the increase of piracy in the Atlas Ocean, culminating in the '''First Anglo-Asmarid War''' of 1462, which was a series of raids by both the Asmarid and Anglish navies before settling in a peace deal by 1465. While it was a minor war that led to no real gains for both sides, it is the first time that both polities had substantial contact with each other.

A more eventful conflict happened in the wake of 1462, as the Romanians defeated the French in the Fourth Romanian War, leading to the decline of France as a major power in Western Europe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Al-Nasr resumed the jihad against the [[Kingdom of Santiago]], after an incident caused by a Santiagoan mob attempting to hunt Anicetian refugees led to the deaths of 500 people. This sparked the Cantabrian Wars, a prolonged campaign where Al-Nasr sought to annex both Santiago and later Navarre in 1475. It came to a final conclusion in 1479, where the Santiagoan king, Bermudo V, tried to stop the Asmarid advance in the '''Battle of Destriana'''. His death during the battle, however, caused the total collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago, leading to its annexation. With the loss of its ally, the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] also surrendered, leading to the full unification of Al-Andalus under a single Muslim ruler, signifiying the end of the Reconquista.

In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his hajj.

==Culture==
==Naturalism==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
Al-Andalus is home to many different languages, due to its position as the intermediary between Europe and Africa, and of the Christian and Muslim worlds. It is generally divided between the Latinate north and the Arabic/Berber south as the north of Al-Andalus is mostly Christian and therefore not as Arabized as the south. The major exception to this is Mozarabic, a Latinate language spoken by Christian Andalusi and some Muslims in the south of the peninsula, although it is a minority language compared to Andalusi Arabic. Berber also has a considerable influence in the region due to Berber migrants into Al-Andalus, although many Berbers also speak Arabic, albeit in a different dialect. Basque also exists in the region of Navarre, being a language isolate unrelated to the Latinate, Arabic, and Berber language families.
* '''Semitic:'''
** [[Andalusi Arabic]]
** [[Maghrebi Arabic]]
* '''Berber:'''
** [[Berber / Tamazight]]
* '''Latinate:'''
** [[Mozarabic]]
** [[Galician]]
** [[Leonese]]
** [[Castilian]]
* '''Other:'''
** [[Basque]]

[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:Locations in Europe]]</text>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Barshil'''&lt;br&gt;بارشيل‎
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1396 - present
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Alasca
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| Mundhir Peak (812m)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (~1410 onward)
|}
'''Barshil''' is a major island in the [[Atlantic Ocean]], located off the northeast coast of [[Alasca]], southwest of [[Greenland]].

Discovered by Andalusian explorers in the 1390s following fishery exploitation of the nearby cod-rich Banks of Barshil, the island is utilized primarily as a fishery as of the late 1400s. Settlements on Barshil represent the northernmost Andalusian colony in the [[Gharb al-Aqsa]].

==Name==

The name ''Barshil'' derives from Christian sources and likely comes from the legend of the island of Hy-Brazil. This myth seems to have diffused from Irish sailors to their counterparts in Gallaecia and the Basque Country, and from there to Andalusian sailors exploring the Gharb al-Aqsa.

In Latinate languages, the island may be referred to as ''Brasil''.

==Geographic features==

===Bodies of water===

* '''Banks of Barshil''' - Rich fishing grounds to the east-southeast of the island. (OTL: The Grand Banks)
* '''Khalij al-Sayadin''' - A bay on the southeastern part of the island. Etymology: Arabic, ''Bay of fishermen.'' (OTL: Trepassey Bay)

===Landform===

* '''Mundhir Peak''' - A mountain in the west of Barshil, named for the explorer Mundhir ibn Halil al-Lishbuni, who recorded the existence of the Banks of Barshil for the first time. (OTL: The Cabox)

==Settlements==

* '''[[Jadida]]''' - A fishing colony and alcazar located on the Khalij al-Sayadin. Etymology: Arabic, from ''madinat al-jadida'', "the new city."

[[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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  <title>Hizamid Emirate</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
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  <revision>
    <id>203</id>
    <timestamp>2021-03-15T03:04:34Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>73.173.160.96</username>
      <id>0</id>
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    <comment>Created page with " the Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities."</comment>
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    <text bytes="152" xml:space="preserve"> the Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.</text>
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  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>206</id>
    <parentid>203</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:50:45Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>Full profile on the Hizamids</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Hizamid Emirate &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1246 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Hizamid Emirate by 1449''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| [[Qurtuba]] (1246 - 1334)
| [[Isbili]] (1334 - 1449)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Musta'in (first)
* Al-Mustanjid
* Al-Mustamsik (last)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Hasan (first)
* Abd ar-Rashid
* Muhammad ibn ar-Rashid
* Husayn ibn al-Hakam
* Muhammad ibn Husayn
* Abd ar-Rahman al-Bahhar
* Suleyman (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period to Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Andalusi War &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}

The Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>207</id>
    <parentid>206</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:51:04Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="1692" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Hizamid Emirate &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1246 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Hizamid Emirate by 1449''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| [[Qurtuba]] (1246 - 1334) &lt;br&gt; [[Isbili]] (1334 - 1449)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Musta'in (first)
* Al-Mustanjid
* Al-Mustamsik (last)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Hasan (first)
* Abd ar-Rashid
* Muhammad ibn ar-Rashid
* Husayn ibn al-Hakam
* Muhammad ibn Husayn
* Abd ar-Rahman al-Bahhar
* Suleyman (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period to Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Andalusi War &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}

The Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>208</id>
    <parentid>207</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:51:21Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="1680" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Hizamid Emirate &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1246 - 1449
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" border="1" | ''Map of the Hizamid Emirate by 1449''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| [[Qurtuba]] (1246 - 1334) &lt;br&gt; [[Isbili]] (1334 - 1449)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Musta'in (first)
* Al-Mustanjid
* Al-Mustamsik (last)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Hasan (first)
* Abd ar-Rashid
* Muhammad ibn ar-Rashid
* Husayn ibn al-Hakam
* Muhammad ibn Husayn
* Abd ar-Rahman al-Bahhar
* Suleyman (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period to Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Andalusi War &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}

The Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.</text>
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    <id>209</id>
    <parentid>208</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:51:43Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <text bytes="1704" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Hizamid Emirate &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1246 - 1449
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Hizamid Emirate by 1449''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| [[Qurtuba]] (1246 - 1334) &lt;br&gt; [[Isbili]] (1334 - 1449)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Musta'in (first)
* Al-Mustanjid
* Al-Mustamsik (last)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Hasan (first)
* Abd ar-Rashid
* Muhammad ibn ar-Rashid
* Husayn ibn al-Hakam
* Muhammad ibn Husayn
* Abd ar-Rahman al-Bahhar
* Suleyman (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period to Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Andalusi War &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}

The Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>211</id>
    <parentid>209</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:55:30Z</timestamp>
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      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="1895" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Hizamid Emirate &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1246 - 1449
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Hizamid Emirate by 1449''
|-
! align="left" | Capital 
| [[Qurtuba]] (1246 - 1334) &lt;br&gt; [[Isbili]] (1334 - 1449)
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Musta'in (first)
* Al-Mustanjid
* Al-Mustamsik (last)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Hasan (first)
* Abd ar-Rashid
* Muhammad ibn ar-Rashid
* Husayn ibn al-Hakam
* Muhammad ibn Husayn
* Abd ar-Rahman al-Bahhar
* Suleyman (last)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period to Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Andalusi War &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Saqlabid Emirate]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
* [[Asmarid Empire]]
|}

The Hizamid Emirate came into power in Al-Andalus during the The Andalusi Revolt, a series of coordinated native uprisings in several prominent cities.
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
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    <parentid>196</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-20T19:20:42Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <minor/>
    <comment>/* The Meridian War (1489 - 1491) */</comment>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Isbili
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="21882" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <parentid>205</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T06:53:45Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <timestamp>2021-05-14T06:59:52Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <comment>/* The Pepperbight War (1498) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="23301" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="23618" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship &lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="23679" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>98e138a9feadba30b01fa053c6b3a4e7a0b7ee42</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>249</id>
    <parentid>243</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-12-26T21:46:11Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Territorial Divisions */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="23729" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>8ec3cbdc12cb698d3dc55227851392d77c916349</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>250</id>
    <parentid>249</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-02-22T18:03:37Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* History */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="23929" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===

===Technological Advances (1512)===

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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  <title>Kingdom of Romania</title>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>fbe8e28c76184b9660422e37a7d93684aaaed229</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>219</id>
    <parentid>217</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:48:28Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:romcoa.png|border|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>5a3980d9694ca401d11027d127c36d9adb2d9852</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>221</id>
    <parentid>219</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:50:09Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:RomaniaCoA.png|border|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>800efa07c67c61e7178f228e2e00b036925bd0f1</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>222</id>
    <parentid>221</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:50:33Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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    <text bytes="1778" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:RomaniaCoA.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>13c829185d343f2b48d48bd8066f7b3ea9f460f3</sha1>
  </revision>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Kingdom of Angland</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>41</id>
  <revision>
    <id>214</id>
    <parentid>124</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T07:02:32Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="2542" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''"Brytenwongas is rôw hêr"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is quiet here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| [[Grimsby]]
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| [[London]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
* Robard
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War 
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===Treaty of Granham (1494)===
===Anglo-Wampanoag War (1496)===
===Pepperbight War (1498)===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>80b0357ea76dfb8a7459b668b058cf3f6cba59f2</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>215</id>
    <parentid>214</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-03-23T07:03:22Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
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    <text bytes="2587" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''"Brytenwongas is rôw hêr"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is quiet here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| [[Grimsby]]
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| [[London]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
* Robard
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War 
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===Treaty of Granham (1494)===
===Anglo-Wampanoag War (1496)===
===Pepperbight War (1498)===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
===Culture===
===Economy===
===Naturalism===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>89f4ea5326f12de9eeb97f62ddfe0d7ed87f4b45</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>244</id>
    <parentid>215</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-10-20T20:09:47Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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    <text bytes="2584" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Angland
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1007 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[image:AnglandFlag.png|center|150px]]Flag of Angland
| align="center" | [[image:Ængland.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| '''Motto:'''&lt;br&gt;''""Ðe weld is råw here"''&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;"The world is quiet here" (Anglish)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Angland map.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Kingdom of Angland by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| [[Grimsby]]
|-
! align="left" | Largest City
| [[London]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Anglish • Welsh • Irish Gaelic • Scots • Scottish Gaelic
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal monarchy: &lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''
* Sweyn Forkbeard (First)
* Cnut the Rich
* Robard
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;High Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Battle of Oxford &lt;small&gt;1007&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War 
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Anglish Króna
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Anglo-Saxon England]]
* [[Kingdom of Scotland]]
* [[Ireland]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Kingdom of Angland''' was a European kingdom located in the [[British Isles]] from 1007 to []. Historically known as the Kingdom of Ængland or England, the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard managed to claim the crown in the Battle of Oxford, killing King Aethelstan, uniting both the Kingdoms of Ængland and Denmark into one. After his death, the throne passed into Cnut the Rich, who married one of the last princesses of the House of Wessex, fully consolidating the Danelaw and the Anglo-Saxon realms as the Kingdom of Angland. 
==History==
===Sweyn Forkbeard's Invasion and the Battle of Oxford===
===Cnut the Rich's ascension===
===Annexing Wales===
===First Invasion of Scotland===
===Colonization of Ireland===
===Second Invasion of Scotland===
===Discovery of the New World===
===Tripartite Schism===
===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462-1465)===
===Treaty of Granham (1494)===
===Anglo-Wampanoag War (1496)===
===Pepperbight War (1498)===
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
===Culture===
===Economy===
===Naturalism===
[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>90d2b7104f4a2b4c61ff547f916a956bed4a1a51</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>File:Romaniamap.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>77</id>
  <revision>
    <id>216</id>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:37:10Z</timestamp>
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      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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    <text bytes="32" xml:space="preserve">holdings of romania 15th century</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>File:Romcoa.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>78</id>
  <revision>
    <id>218</id>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:46:01Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="21" xml:space="preserve">Romanian coat of arms</text>
    <sha1>9b24dff8a2d778a89ef94a575bc5534e2cf43b0c</sha1>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>File:RomaniaCoA.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>79</id>
  <revision>
    <id>220</id>
    <timestamp>2021-03-26T15:49:51Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Crazymachines</username>
      <id>4</id>
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    <text bytes="21" xml:space="preserve">romanian coat of arms</text>
    <sha1>902f6b108610a047fcdeddad7354d28fd460c0d3</sha1>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Bataid Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>16</id>
  <revision>
    <id>224</id>
    <parentid>174</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-07-08T06:12:41Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2487" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Roman Empire &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων (Greek)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;الإمبراطورية الرومانية (Arabic)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Imperium Romanum (Latin)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| [[Image:BataidEmpireFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Bataid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Constantinople
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Greek • Arabic • Turkmen • Patzinak 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Eastern Islam • Greek Orthodoxy • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaysar):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Iskender Bata (first)
* Al-Mansour
* Al-Mansour II
* Abdullah Arslan
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iskender's Coup &lt;small&gt;1282&lt;/small&gt;
* Takeover of the Abbasids &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* The Little Fitna &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Great Turkmen Mamlakate]]
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Hashemite Kingdom]]
* [[Eastern Roman Empire]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Bataid Empire''' was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of [[Ar-Rumaniyah]]. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits. Similar to the previous Orthodox-led [[Eastern Roman Empire]], it saw itself as the legitimate Roman Empire over claimants such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the [[Kingdom of Romania]].

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==

[[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]][[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Roman Empire &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων (Greek)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;الإمبراطورية الرومانية (Arabic)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Imperium Romanum (Latin)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2"| [[Image:BataidEmpireFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Bataid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Constantinople
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Greek • Arabic • Turkmen • Patzinak 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Eastern Islam • Greek Orthodoxy • Judaism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaysar):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Iskender Bata (first)
* Al-Mansour
* Al-Mansour II
* Abdullah Arslan
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Iskender's Coup &lt;small&gt;1282&lt;/small&gt;
* Takeover of the Abbasids &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* The Little Fitna &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Empire of Rum]]
* [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
* [[Hashemite Kingdom]]
* [[Eastern Roman Empire]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Bataid Empire''' was a state that controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 13th and early []th centuries. It was founded near the end of the 13th century by prominent general Iskender Bata, after an internal revolt overthrew the ruling Turkmens of [[Ar-Rumaniyah]]. Although initially the dynasty was of Patzinak origin, it was Hellenized in terms of language, culture, literature and habits. Similar to the previous Orthodox-led [[Eastern Roman Empire]], it saw itself as the legitimate Roman Empire over claimants such as the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the [[Kingdom of Romania]].

==History==
==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==

[[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]][[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
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  <title>Livonia-Prussia</title>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdom of Romania &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Romance)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}</text>
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  <revision>
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    <parentid>226</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-07-29T04:18:49Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Kingdoms of Livonia &amp; Prussia &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Reiaume de Romania (Prussian)&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Royaume de Romania (French)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1282 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:KingdomOfRomaniaFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:Prussia-Livonia CoA.png|center|100px]]Coat of Arms
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:Romaniamap.png|thumb]]''Map of the Kingdom of Romania by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Marselha]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Romance • Franco-Provencal • Sardinian • Sicilian • Meridian • Siculo-Arabic • Greek 
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Feudal Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''King:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Guy the Great (first)
* Guilhem
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Declaration of Kingdom &lt;small&gt;1415&lt;/small&gt;
* Fourth Romanian War &lt;small&gt;1460-1462&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian War &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* [[Treaty of Granham]] &lt;small&gt;1494&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Livre and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Grand Duchy of Provencia]]
* [[Kingdom of Meridiana]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}</text>
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  <title>File:Prussia-Livonia CoA.png</title>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>File:Otomi flag.png</title>
  <ns>6</ns>
  <id>82</id>
  <revision>
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    <timestamp>2021-07-29T04:26:48Z</timestamp>
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    <text bytes="12" xml:space="preserve">Otomi banner</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Otomi Alliance</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>37</id>
  <revision>
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    <timestamp>2021-07-29T04:29:35Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Otomi Alliance
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1380 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:Otomi flag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Otomi Alliance by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Danin&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Dahnini (Otomi)&lt;br&gt;Xaltocan (Nahua)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Nanyu Arabic • Otomi • Nahua • Purepecha
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emir:'''&lt;br&gt;
* 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Formation of the Alliance &lt;small&gt;1380&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Dahnini-Xaltocan (Danin)
* Nzi'batha-Metztitlan (Az-Zimbattah)
* Purepecha Tzintzuntzan 
* Cempoala
* Texcoco
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Otomi Alliance''' was a state ruled by the Emir of Danin (Dahnini-Xaltocan) from 1380 to [], formed by a collection of friendly Islamic city states after the fall of the Tepanecs and their tributary network.

==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category: States in the Algarves]][[Category: States in Alasca]]</text>
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    <timestamp>2021-08-03T22:30:27Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Otomi Alliance
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1380 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="1"| [[Image:Otomi flag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Otomi Alliance by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| Danin&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Dahnini (Otomi)&lt;br&gt;Xaltocan (Nahua)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Nanyu Arabic • Otomi • Nahua • Purepecha
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Western Islam 
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emir:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Muhammad Mahbat 
* Muhammad II
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Formation of the Alliance &lt;small&gt;1380&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* Dahnini-Xaltocan (Danin)
* Nzi'batha-Metztitlan (Az-Zimbattah)
* Purepecha Tzintzuntzan 
* Cempoala
* Texcoco
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Otomi Alliance''', also known as the '''Otomi Emirate''' or the '''Otomi Empire''', was a state ruled by the Emir of Danin (Dahnini-Xaltocan) from 1380 to [], formed by a collection of friendly Islamic city states after the fall of the Tepanecs and their tributary network.

==History==
==Politics==
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category: States in the Algarves]][[Category: States in Alasca]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Burinkan</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>75</id>
  <revision>
    <id>234</id>
    <parentid>200</parentid>
    <timestamp>2021-08-08T23:46:02Z</timestamp>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Burinkan &lt;br&gt; Bouricane (Anglish) &lt;br&gt; Borinquen (Taino)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1391 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Burinkan.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Pearl Sea
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| Yusufid Burinkan (1391-1490)
| [[Kingdom of Angland]] (1490-1492)
| [[Asmarid Empire]] (1492 onward)
|}

'''Burinkan''', otherwise known as '''Bouricane''' in Anglish, is an island located in the [[Pearl Sea]] of the [[Algarves]], as part of the [[Pearl Islands]] archipelago. Historically populated by the native Taino people for generations, the Taino in Burinkan were first met by the Zahiri Berber zealot named Al-Mansur ibn Yusuf of the Yusufids. After being expelled from the Maghreb in 1390, he was forced to make peace with the natives, agreeing to settle among them in the Khalij as-Salam, or the Bay of Peace. Together the Zahiri Yusufids and the Taino formed an independent emirate in the island, where they were left alone by the Hizamid and later Asmarid governments. 

However, a century after Al-Mansur's landing in Burinkan, the island was swiftly conquered by the daring Anglish pirate [[John Robinred]], claiming the island as part of the [[Kingdom of Angland]] by 1490. The Asmarids would later conquer the island 2 years later in an short yet decisive battle. 

==Etymology==
Burinkan is the Arabization of the word Borinquen or Boriken, which is the native Taino name for the island, which means "Land of the Valiant Lord". Subsequently, the Anglish word Bouricane is a corruption of the original Andalusi term.
==History==
=== Al-Mansur's Crossing (1390 - 1391) ===
=== John Robinred's Invasion (1490) ===
=== Asmarid Invasion of Burinkan ===
==Culture==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
[[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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  <revision>
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    <parentid>234</parentid>
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|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan = "2"| Burinkan &lt;br&gt; Bouricane (Anglish) &lt;br&gt; Borinquen (Taino)&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1391 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:Burinkan.jpg|center|250px]]
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | Geography
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Location
| Pearl Sea
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Highest point
| 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Administration
| Yusufid Burinkan (1391-1490)&lt;br&gt;[[Kingdom of Angland]] (1490-1492)&lt;br&gt;[[Asmarid Empire]] (1492 onward)
|}

'''Burinkan''', otherwise known as '''Bouricane''' in Anglish, is an island located in the [[Pearl Sea]] of the [[Algarves]], as part of the [[Pearl Islands]] archipelago. Historically populated by the native Taino people for generations, the Taino in Burinkan were first met by the Zahiri Berber zealot named Al-Mansur ibn Yusuf of the Yusufids. After being expelled from the Maghreb in 1390, he was forced to make peace with the natives, agreeing to settle among them in the Khalij as-Salam, or the Bay of Peace. Together the Zahiri Yusufids and the Taino formed an independent emirate in the island, where they were left alone by the Hizamid and later Asmarid governments. 

However, a century after Al-Mansur's landing in Burinkan, the island was swiftly conquered by the daring Anglish pirate [[John Robinred]], claiming the island as part of the [[Kingdom of Angland]] by 1490. The Asmarids would later conquer the island 2 years later in an short yet decisive battle. 

==Etymology==
Burinkan is the Arabization of the word Borinquen or Boriken, which is the native Taino name for the island, which means "Land of the Valiant Lord". Subsequently, the Anglish word Bouricane is a corruption of the original Andalusi term.
==History==
=== Al-Mansur's Crossing (1390 - 1391) ===
=== John Robinred's Invasion (1490) ===
=== Asmarid Invasion of Burinkan (1492) ===
==Culture==
==Demographics==
==Languages==
[[Category:Locations in the Pearl Sea]][[Category:Locations in Algarves]][[Category:Locations in Alasca]][[Category:Islands]]</text>
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<page arvcontinue="20201222052523|201">
  <title>Flag of the Bataid Empire</title>
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  <id>83</id>
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[[File:BataidEmpireFlag.png|thumb|Earliest attested banner]]</text>
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    <text bytes="375" xml:space="preserve">The Bataid Empire used a variety of flags, especially as naval ensigns, during its history

[[File:BataidEmpireFlag.png|thumb|Earliest attested banner]]

[[File:Bataid flag.png|thumb]]

[[File:Alpha-omega bataid flag.png|thumb]]

[[File:Bataid vex.png|thumb|bataid standard attested at the battle of ]]

[[File:Abbasid banner.svg.png|thumb|standard of the abbasid caliphate]]</text>
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  <title>Main Page</title>
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    <text bytes="1375" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that MiaJwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] ~ Technology&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br&gt;
[[File:1541.png|center|1000px]]</text>
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    <text bytes="1376" xml:space="preserve">&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;''A palm tree I beheld in ar-Rusafa,''
''Far in the West, far from the palm-tree land....''&lt;/big&gt;

~&lt;/div&gt;

'''MiaJwiki''' is the wikibase for '''Moonlight in a Jar,''' an ongoing timeline hosted on alternatehistory.com. This wiki serves as the repository for worldbuilding information and errata accumulated over the course of the story.

&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/moonlight-in-a-jar-an-al-andalus-timeline.396342/ Read Moonlight here.]&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

This wiki is '''not a hosting location for chapters of MiaJ''' - these will remain exclusive to alternatehistory.com. You can read the ongoing timeline there and there alone. However, the volume of worldbuilding errata involved in Moonlight is sufficiently broad that MiaJwiki will act as a central database of things like placenames, people and events that might otherwise slip by with a single mention.

----
&lt;div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;big&gt;&lt;br&gt;'''Browse:'''
&lt;p&gt;

Ethnic Groups ~ Flora and Fauna ~ Languages ~ [[:Category:Locations|Locations]] ~ [[:Category:People|People]] ~ Religion ~ [[:Category:States|States]] ~ Technology&lt;/big&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br&gt;
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  <title>Asmarid Empire</title>
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    <text bytes="23971" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===

===Technological Advances (1512)===

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="25801" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===

===Technological Advances (1512)===

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="27631" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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  <revision>
    <id>257</id>
    <parentid>256</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-11-08T13:54:54Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Technological Advances (1512) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="28451" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <id>258</id>
    <parentid>257</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-11-13T15:26:15Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
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    <comment>/* Technological Advances (1512) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="34533" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="35381" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="36384" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="37808" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorous form of Islam on Andalusi society.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="37808" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="39155" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="40355" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="42132" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
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| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
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| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
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| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as an advantageous move for the Ghimarids.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="44756" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Out of the two, Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to Tariq's Usulid cause, as he was descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="44752" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Out of the two, Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the more loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he was descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="46562" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Out of the two, Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the more loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he was descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="47896" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1540)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Out of the two, Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the more loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he was descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="49074" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* History */</comment>
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    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="49630" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ==
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades, with Sinophilia being a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="50345" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades, with Sinophilia being a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign. 

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="52203" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="52975" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel alongside this lack of supply of wood is what led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="54158" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="54873" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="55878" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="58340" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid architecture from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="58337" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
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The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="58949" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. 

The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="60245" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="62015" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="62933" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="64531" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="65276" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="66343" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in, and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="67821" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging less a traditional war and more a grinding war of hit-and-fades designed to run the Asmarid army ragged.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="67770" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging a brutal guerilla war against the Asmarid government.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* History */</comment>
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    <text bytes="67854" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging a brutal guerilla war against the Asmarid government.

===Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545)===

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545) */</comment>
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    <text bytes="68982" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging a brutal guerilla war against the Asmarid government.

===Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545)===
Even though the Asmarid Empire's wayward colonies in the Algarves faced increased pressure from Christian European powers like France, Angland and Romania during the early 16th century (leading to the loss of colonies like Barshil and Muqmara), there was also a large wave of new colonists into the New World, mainly as a result of natural disasters back home.

In 1522, a large earthquake struck the port of Al-Mariyya, leveling much of the city and damaging buildings as far as Gharnatah. A more serious quake in 1531 killed 20,000 people and left many people homeless as a result of the destruction, which spanned throughout al-Gharb al-Andalus, including Lishbuna. While many buildings would be rebuilt as a result of the Asmarid government's quick response and wealth, many people sought to leave the Old World behind. From the 1520s onwards, there was an increasing trend of settlers from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into the major colonies of the Algarves: Tirunah, Marayu, and al-Gattas. Tirunah faced an even bigger wave of settlers when gold was discovered in large quantities in the 1530s, sparking a gold rush there.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <text bytes="69506" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 22em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging a brutal guerilla war against the Asmarid government.

===Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545)===
Even though the Asmarid Empire's wayward colonies in the Algarves faced increased pressure from Christian European powers like France, Angland and Romania during the early 16th century (leading to the loss of colonies like Barshil and Muqmara), there was also a large wave of new colonists into the New World, mainly as a result of natural disasters back home.

In 1522, a large earthquake struck the port of Al-Mariyya, leveling much of the city and damaging buildings as far as Gharnatah. A more serious quake in 1531 killed 20,000 people and left many people homeless as a result of the destruction, which spanned throughout al-Gharb al-Andalus, including Lishbuna. While many buildings would be rebuilt as a result of the Asmarid government's quick response and wealth, many people sought to leave the Old World behind. From the 1520s onwards, there was an increasing trend of settlers from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into the major colonies of the Algarves: Tirunah, Marayu, and al-Gattas. Tirunah faced an even bigger wave of settlers when gold was discovered in large quantities in the 1530s, sparking a gold rush there.

The effects of the gold rush were massive on the colony, as burgeoning towns like Abourah expanded in size. By 1542, new towns like Wadabidah began to prop up in the gold-rich highlands of the Wadi al-Tirunah. While many of these new arrivals failed to find gold or wealth in the highlands, they did settle within the region, with a few going back to the coastlands or the eastern settlements in Ar-Rakayiz. Eventually, new expeditions found a source of gold within the Rakayiz Bay, in lands drained by the Wadi al-Yaraqi.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
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    <comment>/* Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545) */</comment>
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! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Asmarid Empire&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Umayyad Caliphate&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة (Arabic)
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1449 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:UmayyadCaliphateFlag.png|border|center|150px]]Flag of the Caliph[[Image:AsmaridFlag.png|center|150px]]Dynastic flag
| align="center" | [[Image:AsmaridEmblem.png|center|100px]]Emblem
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[Image:AsmaridEmpireMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Asmarid Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital &lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;and Largest City&lt;small&gt;
| [[Isbili]]
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Andalusi Arabic • Maghrebi Arabic • Mozarabic • Berber • Basque • Galician • Leonese • Castilian
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| [[Western Sunni]] • [[Roman Catholicism]] • [[Anicetianism]] • [[Judaism]]
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Theocratic monarchy under military dictatorship (1453-1541)&lt;br&gt;
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1541-)&lt;br&gt;
'''Caliph:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Mustamsik (first)
* Al-Musta'sim
* Al-Adid
* 
'''Hajib:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Al-Nasr (first)
* Abd ar-Rahim
* Tariq ibn Mujahid
* Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Al-Nasr &lt;small&gt;February 1449&lt;/small&gt;
* First Anglo-Asmarid War &lt;small&gt;1462-1465&lt;/small&gt;
* Cantabrian Wars  &lt;small&gt;1473-1479&lt;/small&gt;
* Meridian Wars &lt;small&gt;1489&lt;/small&gt;
* Succession of Abd ar-Rahim &lt;small&gt;1492&lt;/small&gt;
* Pepperbight War &lt;small&gt;1498&lt;/small&gt;
* Trans-Saharan Expedition &lt;small&gt;1500&lt;/small&gt;
* Famine of 1505 &lt;small&gt;1505&lt;/small&gt;
* Barshil Expedition &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Astorga Uprising &lt;small&gt;1509&lt;/small&gt;
* Usurpation of Tariq &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* Sheresh Wine Riots &lt;small&gt;1534&lt;/small&gt;
* The Governing Fatwa &lt;small&gt;1541&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Dinar and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Hizamid Emirate]]
* [[Asmarid Kingdom]]
* [[Kingdom of Santiago]]
* [[Kingdom of Navarre]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Asmarid Empire''' was an empire that controlled the region of [[Al-Andalus]] and the [[Maghreb]], starting from 1449 until [] under the Asmarid dynasty. It was the first state that unified the regions of the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under a single ruler. They are also the first state that united the entire peninsula since the [[Visigothic Kingdom]] several centuries ago. The Asmarids were a sharifate dynasty who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through Idris. As Emirs of Sale, they gained control of the Maghreb after the [[Blue Army Crisis]] in 1344, becoming vassals of the [[Hizamid Emirate]] as the [[Asmarid Kingdom]]. After the death of Hizamid Hajib Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur in 1447, rival merchant families each rose up and propped up their own Hizamid pretenders in the ensuing succession crisis. In order to prevent a destructive ''fitna'' tearing apart Al-Andalus, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army and with the Caliph's blessing, was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
==History==
===Al-Nasr's Ascension as Hajib===
As the Andalusi continued to expand their empire across the Algarves, there was immense stress on the current Hajibs, the Hizamids to rule over such a vast expanse of land. The expansion of the global trade network and the growth of new cash crop farms also meant that the merchant families like the [[Banu Angelino]] gained immense amounts of wealth over time, enough that they could purchase their own independent mercenary and slave-soldier armies. As a result, the balance of power slowly shifted towards these merchant families, who began to desire the office of Hajib, the highest secular position in all of Al-Andalus. After the death of Al-Mansur in 1437, he was replaced by his son Abd al-Rahman the Younger, who sought to remove power from the merchant families that grew to influence the office over the years. However, he died early after only 6 months of attaining the office, although some speculate that he was assassinated by these same merchant families. He was replaced by Suleyman ibn Al-Mansur, a cousin of his, who proved to be more amenable to the interests of the merchant class.

Suleyman died in 1447 after attempting to treat gonorrhea with mercury. His son, Abu Bakr, was too young to role as he was only 10 years old, so the role of Hajib fell to his regent Haidar ibn Abi 'Aziz ibn Gharsiya al-Anjylynu. Being part of the Banu Angelino, he proved to be a major threat to the interests of the other families, and therefore much of the emirs refused to recognize his regency. The emir of Denia even put up a claimant, the youngest son of Abd al-Rahman the Seafarer, Muhammad al-Mujahid, to oppose Abu Bakr and Abi 'Aziz. However, the crisis deepened when a rival merchant family successfully took over the Alcazar at Isbili, setting up another claimant, Al-Siddiq, as Hajib. With three claimants set up to claim the office of Hajib, the potential of a destructive ''fitna'' could've torn apart the entire Hizamid Emirate and lead to the collapse of Al-Andalus as a unified entity. 

To prevent this from happening, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik invited the Asmarid king, Al-Nasr to become the Hajib, seeing him as a Hajib that is willing to listen to the Caliph and strong enough to resist the control of the merchant families. In 1448, he landed in Al-Andalus with his personal army of Andalusi mercenaries, Berber troops, and Sudani slave soldiers. Al-Nasr quickly took control of the peninsula as none of the pretenders could militarily compete with his massive army. With the Caliph's blessing, he was elevated into the position of Hajib in 1449, uniting both realms into a single empire. 
===Settlement of the Gharb al-Aqsa (The Algarves)===
One of the major problems plaguing the new Hajib was the problem of managing the newly acquired empire, as it was vast and full of small settlements and [[makzans]]. In addition, much of the overland routes of the Sahara controlled by the Berbers were rapidly drying up thanks to the discovery of the [[Algarves]] and the circumnavigation of the Sudan. This led to the Berbers rising up in the Blue Army Crisis a century ago, which led to rise of the Asmarid dynasty in the Maghreb and now, Al-Andalus. Veterans of the Blue Army and their families now moved into the coastal cities like Sale in droves, looking for work overseas.

With much of the [[Algarves]] depopulated due to disease and the need of new laborers and settlers in the makzans, Al-Nasr approved of expeditions to resettle the Berbers and the Andalusi. Initially these makzans were trading posts where the inhabitants could trade with the native Algarvians but they soon evolved into settlements that relied on cash crop agriculture as the native population declined, cultivating valuable crops like indigo and sugar. This led to a large increase in the demand for slaves, mainly from the [[Sudan]] region of Africa. These settlements were mainly focused in the colony of [[Marayu]], as the Asmarids sought to make it a profitable colony, although the avarice of cash crop barons who abused their laborers, some of which were slaves or even Muslims, proved to be a problem for the central government in Isbili.

===First Anglo-Asmarid War (1462 - 1465)===
Another problem that plagued the administration in Isbili was the rise of Christian piracy. The discovery of the Algarves by Galin Keats exposed Christian Europe to the supercontinent and the Asmarid holdings that were there. With the monopoly of trade routes coming from the Asmarid colonies, many ships were lightly armed, making them easy pickings for the Anglish pirates. Adoption of Islamic ship designs for deep ocean travel like the [[saqin]] only facilitated the rapid increase in piracy in the Atlas Ocean. When reports of Anglish piracy reached Al-Nasr in 1459, he sent a missive to King Robart II to immediately cease these activities, whose threats fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the continuation of piracy in the region coupled with rising tensions between the [[Kingdom of Angland]] and the Asmarid Empire led to the First Anglo-Asmarid War.

The war began when Anglish skenes, derivatives of the Andalusian saqin, attacked the island of [[Barshil] and the ships docked in the harbour outside of Al-Jadida. Soon after, Al-Nasr immediately assembled a flotilla towards the British Isles, hoping to burn the harbours along the coast in retribution to this act. This punitive expedition, consisting of [[tur|turs]] soon clashed with 30 [[skene|skenes]] in the Battle of St. Agnes, which proved to be a humiliating defeat to the Asmarids, leading them to their retreat back to Al-Andalus. As the Anglish fleet was pursuing them, bad weather hampered their efforts and only a dozen ships managed to reach the Santiagoan coast before being met by another Asmarid fleet, who managed to destroy the fleet through the use of tanins. Small engagements continued until 1465, where Asmarid ships managed to blockade the mouth of the Severn estuary, where Robart's successor, Ricard III, agreed to a peace settlement of gold and a promise to end piracy, something that he had no hope of enforcing.

While the conflict was minor compared to later wars, it was the first conflict where naval combat played a huge role in the Atlas Ocean, as most operations were landing operations such as the capture of Corunna in the [[War of Navarrese Succession]]. It also showed the value of blackpowder weaponry in ships, which would have drastic effects on how wars will be fought in the future.
===The Cantabrian Wars (1473 - 1479)===
In the aftermath of the [[Fourth Romanian War]], France lost its control over Gascony to the rising [[Kingdom of Romania]], cutting off its support from the Kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre. By the 15th century, the Muslim regions of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb grew to become substantially more powerful than both of the northern kingdoms due to possessing greater amounts of wealth due to trade and more manpower than both countries combined. Tensions between Santiago and Al-Andalus slowly grew as decades pass, increasing as Christian raiding parties attacked Muslim lands and piracy on Asmarid ships in the Atlas Ocean became more prominent, which culminated in Santiago ceasing to pay tribute to Isbili. 

The event which started the Cantabrian Wars began in 1473, where a mob of Santiagoan clerics and peasants slaughtered a village of 500 people in Asmarid territory as they tried to pursue fleeing Anicetians. This led to the Hajib Al-Nasr reopening jihad against Santiago, authorizing his army to lead raiding parties against the mountain kingdom. By 1474, Zamora had fallen to the Asmarids, and the kingdom sent many requests for help across Christendom, although most did not deliver any military assistance. Only Navarre declared war on the Asmarid Empire by 1475 in a bid to preserve its independence. After this declaration, the war broke down into a series of winter and summer campaigns, although the conflict clearly favored the Asmarids due to their substantial military advantages and larger army.

Anicetians proved to be a pivotal role in the Cantabrian Wars, as many lords who were Anicetian or friendly towards them quickly folded to the Asmarids, as their mercy towards their Christian prisoners and treatment over Christians in general was persuasive enough for them to surrender. 

Eventually, the war culminated in the [[Battle of Destriana]], where the king of Santiago, Bermudo V, was killed. This lead to the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Santiago as rival nobles propped up their own heirs, leading to a quick Asmarid annexation. With the loss of Santiago to the Asmarid Empire, Navarre soon surrendered, leading to the complete unification of [[Al-Andalus]] or the Iberian peninsula since the Visigothic Kingdom. Much of the old Santiagoan nobles were immediately dispossessed of their lands while the rest of the Basque landowners were allowed to maintain their lands, although both of them were reorganized into Wilayah, making them permanent territories of the Asmarid Empire.
===Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj===
In 1483, the Emir of the [[Otomi Alliance]], Muhammad Mahbat, visited the city of Isbili to meet both the Hajib Al-Nasr and the Umayyad Caliph Al-Mustamsik in his famed hajj. 
===The Meridian War (1489 - 1491)===
Due to Muhammad Mahbat's Hajj, the prestige of the [[Bataid Empire]] and the Abbasid Caliph severely decreased as the Umayyads brought new peoples from unknown lands into Islam, as their roles as leaders of the ''ummah'' came into question. In addition, many religious officials in the East debated fiercely on whether Muslims aligned to the Umayyad Caliph were considered to be ''kuffar'', with many deciding that they would be considered ''munafiqun'' or "false Muslims". As a result of these events, the Bataids severely cracked down on Muslim traders and pilgrims on the West, passing the Nifaq Tax or the Hypocrisy Tax, where false Muslims such as Sunnis who followed the Umayyad Caliph as well as Shia Muslims would be taxed as a way to generate revenue and to discourage heresy within Islam.

However, Roman control over the Hejaz was relatively weak, and the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca often ignored the Nifaq Tax in an attempt to maintain neutrality amidst the growing chasm between East and West. This led to many Muslims undergoing the Hajj to take the Sudani route or more inland routes through [[Bayadhid Sultanate|Bayadhid Egypt]] in an attempt to avoid Bataid authorities. The 1480s were characterized by relative peace in Dar-al-Islam but is also marked with growing tensions between the Asmarid Empire and the Bataid Empire until in 1489 where the Bataids invaded the region of [[Meridiana]], sparking the Meridian War.

The Kingdom of Romania was immediately faced with the invasion of one of its core territories, as the Bataids quickly ravaged Otranto and Bari within weeks of the invasion. Therefore its king, Guilhem, sent emissaries towards Isbili in order to make an alliance, as both France and the HRE were hostile to the rising Kingdom and denied aid. Guilhem however, knew of the growing tensions between the two major powers of Islam and exploited it, bringing Al-Nasr and the entire Asmarid Empire into the war, alongside Genoa and Venice. 

The inclusion of the Asmarids were pivotal towards the allied victory, bringing in manpower and an equally comparable navy to the Bataids, which proved crucial towards the [[Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca]]. In November 9, 1489, a Bataid fleet in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked by the combined Muslim-Christian fleet from the Asmarids and the Romanians, leading to the defeat of the Bataids and allowing the Kingdom to relieve the siege at Taranto, swinging the war back to the Romanians.However, the alliance also faced major setbacks such as when the Andalusians were quickly routed by a smaller Bataid army at Lecce. Overall, the Battle of Santa Maria di Leuca bought enough time for the allied forces to defend Meridiana with their own armies, leading to an eventual stalemate.

The war would end in 1491 when the Bataids pulled out of the peninsula in order to beat back another major Irbisid incursion into Roman lands, ultimately leaving the Meridian War in a clear allied victory, albeit an anticlimactic one. The Meridian War was the first war in which both Muslim and Christian states worked together in a war, albeit without controversy. Conservative Romanian and Asmarid factions in court sought to undermine this in numerous occasions, such as when a Berber faction sought to engineer a coup to replace Al-Nasr with a distant cousin to install a more hardline ruler, which was quickly crushed. A major result of the war was the acquistion of [[Amalfi]] as a free trade zone, allowing Muslims and Jews to trade freely with Christians, and bringing significant investment towards the city itself after the Earthquake of 1343.

===The Pepperbight War (1498)===
In 1494, Hajib Al-Nasr passed away and was succeeded by his son Abd ar-Rahim, who immediately sought to stop the ongoing problem of Anglish piracy in the Bight of Binu. He sent a fleet of twenty safinas towards the Sudani coastline, later establishing a qasbah on Mushtari of Mihwaria, transforming a small makzan into a more permanent method of projecting Andalusi power across the Bight. Eventually, their activities would spark the Pepperbight War as they sought to engage with the Anglish pirates at the Battle of Adoakyir, scattering most of them in the process. Later on the fleet would strike a major Anglish fortress, Fort Darwin, only for the pirates to hold out despite significant losses. 

After continuing a back-and-forth campaign between the Asmarids and the Anglish, both parties decided to settle for peace in 1498, with the Anglish paying a nominal sum of gold, with them promising to not raid the Bight again. However, many pirates ignored this paper promise and the practice of piracy continued in the lucrative trade route as they continue to harass many ships from Romania, the Dahab, Al-Andalus, and etc., forcing Mihwaria to support the naval garrison there while Fort Darwin continued to be a nuisance for the Andalusi.

===Trans-Saharan Expedition (1500)===
In the late 15th century, the Empire of Kanem-Bornu was taken over by the migrating Husseinids, a family of Arabo-Nilotic stock. This triggered a massive wave of immigrants westward amidst the fall of Kanem towards other lands such as the Hausa Kingdoms and other lands up north. One notable ethnic group was the Zarma, who moved into the rump Mali Empire (Manden Kurufaba) and later conquered it under the rule of Gazari Ali in 1491.

They overran the Mande states thanks to military innovations they have learned from the Kanuri and the Hausa, which would later come to use when they tried to invade the coastal [[Simala Kingdom]] to the West. The fall of Djenne in 1495 prompted an eastward expedition from the Simala against the [[Zarma Empire]], while also asking assistance from the Asmarids in order to neutralize this oncoming threat. 

He obliged, sending 3,500 men (1,000 Berber cavalry, 1,500 blackpowder infantry, 1000 infantry, and a dozen cannons) from the Maghreb to Simala territory across the Sahara. The expedition arrived in 1501 and established control over Oualata and Aoudaghost, fending off a Zarma attack on the latter city in 1502. 

The Simala would soon win against the Zarma in the Battle of Kofe thanks to the use of blackpowder weaponry. This resulted in the Bambuk gold mines remaining within Simala hands, though this would not allow them to retake Niani and establish a monopoly on the gold trade. 

While the Simala retained much of their territory, the rise of the Zarma gave them a political rival in the West African region. As for the Asmarids, this rise in conflict proved to be a problem for their gold traders, but nonetheless this gave them the opportunity to set up outposts in the Sahara, extending their influence and military might against any future Zarma attacks on the gold mines.

===The Famine of 1505 and Colonial Expansion (1505)===
In 1505, there was a consecutive series of crop failures all throughout Western Europe, leading to widespread famine. It is commonly attributed to global cooling that was occurring after the Medieval Warm Period. As a result of the lack of food and opportunity within their homeland, many decided to move to greener pastures, such as the Algarves. For the Asmarids, there was a noticeable increase in people inhabiting the Wilayahs of Tirunah, Al-Gattas, and Quwaniyyah, all the result of migration from Europe.

For inland Berbers, they decided to move into the Berber-populated territory of Azaniyah, where a familiar farming and herding culture was found there. Other territories were even explored and inhabited on the frontier, like the Meshishib, though they were perceived as a backwater compared to the rich Pearl Sea colonies or of the Otomi Emirate.

Some stuck closer to home, as others decided to migrate north towards the Wilayahs of the former Santiago and Navarre. This caused severe tension between Muslims and the native Christians, which later culminated in the Astorga Uprising in 1509. Many Christians raided and looted Muslim homes within the city, with some even reporting rampant sexual violence against Muslim women. The motivation of this uprising was to call upon the "Hidden King" that would help reconquer their homes in the name of Christendom, though it was eventually put down and the ringleaders were executed.

However, one territory that was not being inhabited by new Andalusis or Berbers was Barshil, which was recently captured by the Danish. Seen as a political embarrassment, it was nevertheless not a major blow to the Asmarid Empire, as it was a harsh and unforgiving frontier colony. Compared to the other colonies of the empire, it was far more unappealing for any prospective traveler.

===Technological Advances (1512)===
Thanks to the Asmarid Empire's growing contacts with China, large colonial network, and ease of dissemination of information through the printing press, it was primed to create a whole host of innovations, specifically within naturalism and industry.

Much of the Asmarid Empire's technological development was driven by the changes wrought by the rise of colonization, the advent of the cooling period,  and the recovery of Europe after the Great Plague. 

There were multiple migrations of people from the homelands of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb towards the colonies as a result of overpopulation and subsequent famine. In addition, the need to protect their trade routes from raids from growing Christian and Buddhist rivals has caused them to build bigger and more heavily armed ''safina'' and ''rafaq''-type ships.

To fuel their need for more blackpowder weapons of higher caliber, the Asmarids decided to concentrate their efforts in developing Iberia's iron-producing region, the area around Wadi al-Ahmar in the southeast portion of the peninsula. 

The river flows down the coast near the city of Walbah and forms a large mineral belt that goes as far as Lishbuna. It is named as such because the water's color turns red due to the high concentration of iron oxides and other minerals. The Romans previously mined the region for iron, copper, and gold, but lapsed in activity ever since the fall of the Roman Empire.

By the early 1500s, the Asmarids soon sent in miners to not only acquire precious metal but also iron for their blackpowder weapons. Despite the growth in iron production, they still imported iron ingots from the Nasrid emirate of Ifriqiya, whose mines close to Bizerte provided much needed iron and steel for weapons, farm equipment, and ships.

===The Rise of the Usulids and the Ghimarids (1520-1539)===
The most fundamental conflict in Al-Andalus during the 16th century was not an external war, but an internal war of ideologies. As new technologies and ideas circulated throughout the Asmarid Empire, it opened a fierce debate about the future of Islam and the Umayyads' place in it. 

By the 1520s, there were two factions of political elites in Al-Andalus, the conservative Usulids and the reformist Ghimarids, each fighting for dominance and control in the future of Andalusia.

The rapid advancement of Andalusian society since the Crossing meant that people were in general wealthier and can afford more luxuries than their ancestors centuries ago. Merchants had access to a wider market in the Algarves, Africa, and beyond and could afford to eat luxury goods. They also read from books coming off from printing presses in Iftenic script (something that threatened the jobs of scribes tasked with writing down books) and tolerated practices like unveiled women in the streets.

Of course, there were reactionaries towards this trend, such as Abu'l-Qasim ibn Ubayd Allah al-Ansari who openly criticized this cosmopolitanization. A qadi from Mecca, he was a fierce opponent of the printing press and the major societal trends of his time, treating them as the cause of moral decay within Islamic society.

Citing references to Hadiths and the Quran, his grievances included:
* Misrepresentation of God's teachings through the proliferation of printed tracts, which Al-Ansari dubs "nifaq scrolls;"
* Toleration of sumptuary breaches, such as the proliferation of silk clothing among men and lack of veiling for some women;
* A failure to consistently wage the jihad, even against pagans;
* Toleration of pagans in the same respect as People of the Book;
* Toleration of usury;
* Disrespect for the Caliph by a succession of hajibs.

To al-Ansari, these observations meant a degradation of societal discipline and a growing preference for material wealth over God. The solution was to have a rigorous adherence to the Sunnah and restore the faith by abolishing the Hajib and replacing him with an all-powerful Caliph that can enforce a more religious way of living. In addition, he also calls for the abolition of the printing press and a new infusion of Islamic religious scholars into centers of government to ensure they follow Sharia Law.

While he would eventually die in 1526, his works proved to be very popular among conservative Muslims within Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, his influence long outliving him. His book, ''The Folly of the Innovators'', became the backbone of the Conservative faction within the Asmarid Empire, who were called the Usulids. Opposing the spiritual degeneration of Andalusi society, they were devoted to law, faith, tradition, and the Caliphate.

However, there were opponents to this conservative ideology who embraced the modernization of Andalusi society such as Yujamir ibn Hammad al-Ghimari, whose namesake gave rise to the liberal Ghimarid faction. Unlike many of his peers, he was not of the merchant class but was instead a religious imam that did not oppose the ongoing cosmopolitanism and modernization of Al-Andalus, seeing it as an expression of modernity and reasoning rather than something to be feared.

Al-Ghimari's 1525 text, ''The Philosophers and the Discovery of God's World'' is not an explicit shot across the bow of Al-Ansari, but it accomplishes much the same through its subject matter: It's an extended commentary on Ibn Sajr's 12th-century work The Philosophy of Faith. 

Ibn Sajr was not a popular philosopher during his lifetime and was often considered to be a Mu'tazilite by his contemporaries, leaving him very much outside of the mainstream. However, Al-Ghimari's commentaries revitalized discussion on his theories and further expanded on them to fit with the new state of the world.
Al-Ghimari argued for reason as the purest expression of faith and that blind faith in the Quran would be a failing of God's intention as he created man with the capacity of logic. An unwillingness to utilize the use of logic and reason is a sin in itself for Al-Ghimari. When faced with the advancements of the modernizing world, he advocates for accepting them as long as they are treated with moderation, compassion, and humility.

This line of thinking starkly opposed the Usulids' way of thought and so two political parties began to form based on those lines, and soon they would compete with each other in Abd ar-Rahim's court. The Hajib was becoming increasingly reliant on political advisors as the Asmarid realm expanded all across the Algarves and the rest of the world. However, with many of the members of the Majlis being merchants and wealthy politicians, they leaned towards the reformist Ghimarids while a minority upheld the arch-traditionalist Usulid position. Political arguments became even more bitter as politics became more polarized at the end of Abd ar-Rahim's reign, culminating in a plot to kill the Hajib in 1529 by a cadre of arch-traditionalist nobles seeking to restore the Caliphate, with the Hajib exiling all six of them from Al-Andalus.

By the 1530s, the Hajib started to decline in health due to old age, and as a result, began to withdraw from public life. Shortly thereafter, he died while his heir, Shurayh also died, albeit from a far more suspicious cause. Many began to suspect that he was strangled due to the condition that the body was in but there was no one that could be identified as the perpetrator. Regardless this left a huge power vacuum that many people wanted to fill. 

The Majlis would soon be dismissed by Tariq ibn Mujahid, a late son of Shurayh. Being raised as a traditionalist Usulid, he chafed at the more Ghimarid-minded Majlis and therefore wanted to arise to the position of Hajib to curtail them. Soon the council will try to find a way to advise the new traditionalist Hajib, whose opinions were at odds with not only the Majlis but society at large.

===Sanjula's Revenge on Tariq (1539-1541)===
The initial conflict between Hajib Tariq and the Majlis was one of bitter exchanges and discourse, but nothing that would escalate into an all-out civil war. However, one woman would spark a chain of events that led tensions to spill over and the Ghimarids and the Usulids to openly wage war against one another.

The reason why Tariq and the Majlis couldn't openly engage in hostilities with one another is that neither institution wasn't legitimate in the eyes of the law, as the Majlis was informally set up by al-Nasr on behalf of his chosen son and heir Abd ar-Rahim while Tariq's own ascension as Hajib was seen as suspicious in the wake of Shurayh's death. Additionally, while Caliph Al-Musta'sim lacked political power and was crippled with dementia, he praised the Majlis during his earlier years, bringing any unwarranted dismissal of the Majlis into question, limiting Tariq's options to curtail the council's power.

However, Tariq did manage to make an early impact on his tenure at Hajib with his campaign against the Sheresh Wine Industry. It was very infamous for skirting Sharia Law's prohibition against alcohol by having its vineyards sell raisin or grapeseed oil products while also selling distilled spirits or wines on the side, raking in massive amounts of profit while doing so. Those who operated these vineyards were Christians who sold to other Christians for religious rituals or consumption but the biggest violation was when Muslims bought their alcoholic products. Tariq, a well-known teetotaler and an arch-conservative, was outraged by this flagrant violation of the ''sunnah'' and of Sharia Law and soon sought to curtail this practice by arresting several vineyard owners and putting them on trial.

This was unsurprisingly very unpopular, culminating in the Sheresh Wine Riots, where many protestors fought against the city guards and rioted inside the city. Fighting quickly broke out between traditionalists and reformers while some accounts told of citizens who broke into vineyards and drained all of the wine into nearby rivers. Regardless of the exact events that took place, the riots led to a sharp decline in Tariq's already low popularity among the general public, especially the merchants, who viewed this act as draconian. As a result of this backlash, Tariq went with a different approach and softened his efforts to introduce a more rigorist form of Islam on Andalusi society.

He introduced edits which banned the use of the printing press for Qurans while also hiring more tax collectors to help collect the jizya from the Dhimmi, increasing the tax revenue of the Asmarid Empire to some extent but also causing resentment among the non-Muslim subjects of the Empire. 

However, it was his foreign campaigns which brought him much needed popularity, as his raids and conquests of pagan places abroad such as Quwaniyyah were very successful. These campaigns were done by volunteers equipped with blackpowder weapons and were shipped out from Al-Andalus and the rest of the Asmarid Empire annually, and their first targets were the pagan K'iche Maya kingdom of Jakawitz. 

While the Maya did acquire horses and even some blackpowder weaponry, there was still a massive technological gap between them and the Asmarids, who could keep a small garrison across Quwaniyyah to keep the natives in line. Maya traps and ambushes did cause a large amount of causalities on the Muslims, but that did not stop them from taking the capital of Jakawitz, despite using a smaller army against a much larger defending force. The last Maya king was captured and put in chains to be taken to Isbili, but he died along the way, marking a turning point in Maya and Cawanian history where the Andalusi became a permanent presence in the region.

Although this campaign theoretically would've made Tariq much more popular from both the general public and the traditionalist supporters that bolstered his power base, in actuality the campaign sent many of his supporters from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb overseas. With many of them satisfied with the pagan conquest and the economic benefits to themselves, they were removed from the homeland which grew increasingly more in line with Ghimarid thought. 

Unrest would soon flare up in 1539 with the arrest of Sanjula bint Hamdin al-Anjylyni. 

Sanjula was the daughter of a powerful merchant of the Banu Angelino, a well established Andalusi family for centuries. She was also infamous, even among Berber and Andalusi women of their time to flout the traditional fashion of Muslims women, often going out in public unveiled. In addition, Sanjula was unmarried at age 21, which was unheard of. She wrote fluently in Andalusi and classical Arabic while also showing some skill in poetry, illustrating the growing freedoms and creative achievements among women during this time period. However, it was her scandal and eventual revenge on Tariq which saw widespread documentation among contemporaries.

In the spring of 1539, the merchant Abu Yasin ibn Gharsiya al-Zammuri accused Sanjula of attempting to seduce another man while being involved with him at the same time. The qadi deemed this case to be an example of zina, or unlawful sexual intercourse. Since she was unmarried, she was deemed to not be muhsan and thus subject to flogging instead of stoning. Of course, this sentencing was feverishly objected by both Sanjula and her father Hamdin, who asserted that she was never involved with al-Zammuri at all. There were no witnesses and the only evidence came from al-Zammuri's testimony thus was grounds for qadhf, or false accusation. Sanjula's father suspected al-Zammuri to have ulterior motives behind this, as his business was a direct competitor to the Banu Angelino.

Therefore, Hamdin, a member of the Majlis himself tried to get the Hajib to repeal this ruling but was immediately rejected. 

Sanjula would soon be subjected to lashing in front of a public crowd, though she would show determination to not scream in front of the jeering Usulids in the crowd. Eventually, it was discovered that al-Zammuri did fabricate the accusation against Sanjula, and thus the Ghimarids in the Majlis clamored for him to be punished, which was eventually done later with al-Zammuri receiving a lashing of his own. Regardless, this inflamed tensions between the Ghimarids and the Usulids in the Majlis, with the Hajib also being caught in the crossfire. 

While Sanjula was exonerated, she would not be out of Tariq's life for long as she would pair up with Tariq's cousin, Uthman ibn Abd ar-Rahim, a personal witness to Sanjula's flogging and a member of the Banu Angelino delegation. Soon, he would emerge as a prominent Ghimarid and a stark political opponent to Tariq.

With the aftermath of her flogging, she now desired revenge on Tariq, turning from an active wealthy socialite into a political force that was far more impactful than any Andalusian woman at that time. By late 1540, she married Uthman, though it is noted that both Uthman and Sanjula treated themselves more as equal partners than what was expected of married men and women. Despite her poetry and her ideas of romance at that time, it was her political controversies that drew the most attention from both modern Andalusi and her contemporaries. 

Her marriage to Uthman gave her far more political freedom as she was able to converse with many wives and daughters of notable wali and emir that were connected with Uthman. He was content in allowing her to sway public opinion away from Hajib Tariq, seeing it as advantageous for the Ghimarids.

The delicate balance between the Hajib and the Majlis proved to be exceptionally difficult for both sides to simply dismiss each other, especially for the Hajib. Dismissing the Majlis would've been easy for Hajib but his unpopularity among the ummah made it unfeasible. Meanwhile, the Hajib is a position that can't be removed so easily due to his authority stemming from the Caliph himself. 

The most powerful backers of the Hajib, however, were not from the Majlis, but rather from the Caliph and his closest circle. The aging Caliph Al-Musta'sim held views that were consistent with the Usulids, although his ailing health and bouts of dementia prevented him from being a prominent political ally for the Hajib. The more effective members of Tariq's power base came from the military, with Izemrasen ibn Ghanim al-Masmudi controlling a significant portion of Masmuda Berber soldiers and contributed much to the Asmarid Empire's military might. Meanwhile, Hunayn ibn Karabo al-Sudani, the head of the Black Guard, is a supporter of Tariq though this is out of loyalty to the Caliph. 

Hunayn was the most immediate threat, but Izemrasen was the most loyal out of the two to the Usulid cause, as he descended from the rough and hardy Masmuda Berber tribes. Hailing from the mountains of the Atlas near Aghmat, he detested the coastal merchants that lived in the cities along the Maghreb. Discussion in the Majlis soon shifted to trade and taxation, either due to Sanjula and Uthman's prodding in the council or Izemrasen's own economic interests. While the Masmuda did have supporters that led to winning investments from Hajib Tariq, contributing to new mosques and roads around Aghmat, this annoyed many of the other council members in the Majlis.

After this, Sanjula, Uthman, and the others pivoted towards influencing the Caliph's successor, as Al-Musta'sim experienced a severe stroke and thus withdrew from public life. Al-Adid, the second son to the current Caliph, was a moderate who was mostly sympathetic to Usulid viewpoints on dress and culture yet did not shirk from scientific pursuits. While not particularly well known or liked by both camps, he served as the perfect compromise candidate for whoever was able to get him on their side.

That would soon change in 1541, as Tariq got word that Al-Adid was having secret meetings with Sanjula and Uthman, alarming him and his backers. While normally the Caliph was a ceremonial role, his influence and support of the Ghimarid side was enough to turn the tide against the Hajib and the Usulids. Later on in April 27, 1541, two eunuchs were killed by the Black Guard after attempting to reach Al-Adid's home, possessing poisoned knives. While Al-Adid initially refused the existence of the plot, investigations soon revealed Tariq's involvement in the entire assassination. While political killings were not new in Al-Andalus, the murder of the Caliph is seen as a grotesque affront to the Islamic faith.

By the summer of 1541, Al-Musta'sim would die and Al-Adid replaced him as the Caliph, to which he decreed to remove Tariq from his position as Hajib, an unprecedented declaration among the Andalusi. While the Caliph has mostly become a ceremonial role and thus politically powerless ever since the establishment of the Saqlabid Amirate centuries ago, the Hajib's power rested on flimsy grounds and not by law, and so the Caliph could remove the Hajib at any point, despite having a clear justification in doing so. Since the Black Guard was loyal to the Caliph, Tariq was removed from power.

To the surprise of many, the new Caliph did not rush to appoint a new Hajib by himself but instead convened with the Majlis to produce a new document: The Governing Fatwa.

The Governing Fatwa codified a formal power structure for the first time in Andalusian history, one where each position was given a set of roles and rules of succession were defined. The Fatwa reaffirmed the Caliph as the supreme religious authority and the Hajib retained the same political powers at the behest of the Caliph. However, it solidified the Majlis as a political institution by having them convene with the Hajib at all time throughout certain parts of the year and more importantly, became the method in which a new Hajib was chosen as they were the ones that advised the Caliph on choosing a new Hajib. The Governing Fatwa ensured a smooth succession and transfer of power, while also firmly defining the religious and secular roles of the Caliph and Hajib/Majlis within the Asmarid Empire.

Unsurprisingly, both the Majlis and Al-Adid chose Uthman as the new Hajib. The appointment was quickly finalized and Sanjula's revenge on Tariq was complete. While it was an important turning point in governance, modern historians generally view it as a mere ploy to oust Tariq from power thanks to backroom deals between Sanjula, Uthman, and Al-Adid.

The Fatwa was far from the end of things, however. Tariq, although out of power, was still alive, and very much willing to move to his power base in the High Atlas as a leader of the Usulid resistance against Uthman. Izemrasen joined him in opposing Uthman, and withdrew his support from the Caliph and Hajib by withholding his taxes and continuing to support Tariq as the rightful Hajib.

The presence of Tariq as a strong political opposition proved to be one of many thorns throughout Uthman's tenure as Hajib. The dealmaking with his father's alleged killer left him in a predicament: the Hajib's position was more constrained than ever, the Majlis had increased powers and could very much replace him should he step out of line, and the Caliph who was more active politically yet disagreed with him on major social issues. Furthermore, with the Usulids becoming more public and radical in their opposition to the current status quo and the Ghimarids using their power to quell that opposition, rioting and political violence were at an all-time high. While these would be put down, Uthman nevertheless came to power weakened and faced with considerable internal political and social turmoil.

=== Technology and Architecture of the Blossoming (1540s) ===
As much as the Governing Fatwa was one of the major political developments in Al-Andalus and the rest of the Western Sunni world, there were also major technological and cultural achievements made during the Blossoming, the period where art and science flourished amidst the post-Crossing era. This is mostly due to the Asmarid Empire's extensive contact with China over the past few decades. Sinophilia has been a major trend among the Andalusi and Maghrebi elite since the days of Al-Nasr. 

Much of the drive behind Asmarid advancement can be chalked up to social and geopolitical changes in the post-Crossing period. The introduction to new technologies, crops, and ideas from the Algarves and China alongside population recovery from the Great Plague caused a new influx of scientific and social development. However, the increased population also caused an upward trend in migration due to increased pressure on the agricultural industry, being unable to feed everyone despite the introduction of new Algarvian crops, culminating in the Famine of 1504. As a result, immigration to the Asmarid Empire's colonies like Tirunah, Marayu, Quwaniyyah, and others massively increased during Uthman's reign.

However, this new demand for migration and trade brought in new dangers. The emergence of Christian and Hindu-Buddhist rivals in Europe and Asia made shipping lanes dangerous to traverse for any Asmarid ship. The need to deal with pirates and hostile navies alike led to a drastically increased demand for ships from the Asmarid government. There was also a desire to build heavier and more powerful safina and rafaq-type ships that can go toe-to-toe with enemies in the Age of Blackpowder. As a result, the demand for wood and steel increased immensely during the early 16th century, something that wasn't so easily satisfied with the current technology that the Andalusi had at their disposal. 

This specific demand for cannon steel drove the Asmarids to redouble their efforts in Iberia's preeminent iron-mining region: The area around the Wadi al-Ahmar in the peninsula's southeast.

The river flows down to the city of Walbah and forms a part of a large mineral belt that spans as far as the city of Lishbuna in the farthest reaches of Al-Andalus. The river is named as such due to its tendency to run red. This is because the water is highly acidic and contains large traces of iron and other precious minerals. Previously, the Romans mined the region extensively during Antiquity, though activity died down throughout the course of the Middle Period.

By the 1500s, Asmarid miners have increasingly shown interest in the region and started mining again for gold, silver, and iron for modern weapons. Still, the Asmarids relied more on iron from the Nasrids in Ifriqiya as they owned and controlled a large number of iron mines near the city of Bizerte. Regardless, there was a huge increase in demand for iron throughout the Blossoming, which was a problem for the time period that relied heavily on dwindling supplies of wood to forge iron and steel.

Neither Iberia nor the Maghreb were well-known for their forests and while islands like Liwaril were being harvested for their shipbuilding wood, feedstock wood for furnaces were much harder to come by due to the high demand for such a limited resource. Scholars generally agree that this growing demand for high-quality steel and lack of wood supply led Asmarid metalworkers to experiment with coal. 

The conquest of the Christian kingdoms in the north had brought a reasonably productive coal region in Asturias and horse railroads had allowed it to be exploited more effectively. However, the use of coal wasn't even considered until exposure to its widespread use from Wu China where the Andalusi began to consider using it for their furnaces.

The first coke-fired blast furnace was built in Oujda in 1543, constructed by Sinophile blacksmith Izebboudjen ibn Munis al-Haddad. Ibn Munis had traveled extensively throughout northeastern China and spent a year as an apprentice to a Chinese blacksmith in the Yellow River ironworking region, giving him new knowledge about blacksmithing and ironworking. Already known for his ability to produce high-quality iron, he applied the technologies he learned in his travels, seeking to produce metal of ever-increasing purity and quantity by using a coke-fueled furnace. His efforts proved to be successful, with him outproducing his contemporaries in cast iron, leading him to be a top producer in cast iron kitchen products for his city. 

The introduction of means of producing high-quality iron and steel was a prerequisite for the Machine Age that would shortly follow, contrary to the assumptions that the steam engine was the sole catalyst of this change. It was not, however, the only prerequisite. A few of these were beginning to emerge in the Asmarid realm, largely spread by Sinophiles and Ghimarids and propagated in many cases through manuals published via Iftenic script on a printing press.

Advancements in textile weaving also became important. By the 1520s, weavers across Al-Andalus and the Maghreb began using modified spinning wheels that used foot-powered tradles to keep their hands free while operating the machine. Known as the Moorish wheel in Christendom, this was another improvement that increased the production of essential goods. 

These improvements to textile tools also contributed to the rise of another industry in Al-Andalus: the cotton industry. While cotton was known to Europe at the time, it wasn't a common plant in the continent, and it was an uncommon material to create fabric and clothing as opposed to wool. As a result, cotton had to be imported or grown in the colonies.

Technological developments in the Asmarid Empire during the Blossoming era not only happened for industrial fields but also those pertaining to the arts, specifically architecture.

Clock towers began to appear all across the Islamic world during this time. The first to truly bring them together was Muhammad ibn Turashi al-Tarabzuni, a thoroughly Persianized clockmaker of Pontic Greek stock living in Alexandria in the early 1500s. Commissioned by the Bayadhids to assist in the construction of a new mosque, he capped off the mosque's minaret with an innovation: A mechanical clock with a minute hand. It's the oldest surviving example of a functional clock minaret.

His design would prove to be quite popular among travelers and would soon be copied across the Middle East and Europe, starting with a clock tower in Jerusalem by the 1530s. Another one would soon pop up in Athens during the 1540s, while a clock tower was being constructed in the Great Mosque of Cordoba for their own renovations.

The clock minaret would become standard as a feature of Asmarid buildings from the 1540s onward - the style recognized today as Western Blossoming architecture. Features of this style would include:

* A transition towards pointed hemispherical domes and away from the crossed-arch domes once typical of Andalusian architecture. Domes from the 1500s were typically in a slightly conical shape and decorated with bright geometric patterns, largely predominated by indigo, yellow and white.
* The implementation of clocks into minarets on more prominent new mosques.
* Preference for pointed arches, typically with a pronounced keystone and artistically notable voussoirs - usually in the form of reliefs, yeserias or alternating stones in light and dark colours.
* Ample use of bold ablaq styling - that is, alternating rows of light and dark masonry used in construction. These would rarely include simple black-and-white contrasts, with red brick against yellow-to-white sandstone or limestone being the most common. The most expensive buildings would feature elaborate ablaq in complementary but contrasting hues of priceless marble.
* Regular use of variations on the sebka relief pattern, most notably darj wa ktaf interlacing patterns of curved and straight lines. These are often utilized as panels on exterior walls, with the voids between the outer latticework frequently filled with contrasting material such as colourful tilework.
* A resurgence in the use of zellige tile. While ubiquitous during the Blue Period, zellige of the Western Blossoming period incorporated new colours, including whites, yellows, browns and even more pricey violets and greens. The most expensive of these colours was Marayu green, a shade of viridian created through the addition of chromium oxides harvested from a single river in Marayu; few examples of it exist simply because of its rarity.[6]
* Extensive use of mashrabiya balconies, usually brightly coloured.
* The use of tall mullion-divided windows - in buildings of importance, often glazed.
* An increasing use of enamelled glass in colours typically complementary of a building's other exterior features.
* In general, a tendency to build higher and larger. Older Andalusian buildings were typically somewhat lower in height than contemporaries in the Levant, but Western Blossoming architecture reflects an increase in massing and scale, with more tall buildings emerging throughout the 1500s and onward.

Regional variations emerged in the Gharb al-Aqsa (Algarves) due to Andalusi influence, such as the Otomi which blended indigenous Mesoamerican artwork with standard Andalusi architectural techniques. Additionally, their use of color tended to shift towards vermillion, black, white yellow, and brown instead of the blues that predominated Andalusi buildings, giving them a distinct appearance. However, the colonies were an exception, often keeping to the same standard as the ones in the homeland. The development of Western Blossoming architecture also had a profound influence on Christian Europe as well, though they've always maintained their uniqueness throughout the Blossoming period.

Knowledge of these architectural practices would soon spread across the Islamic world and in Christendom thanks to the proliferation of the printing press. The emergence of these new technologies and methods resulted in an overall rise in literacy, with many, especially in Iberia and the Maghreb, being able to receive a level of higher education that was rarely possible for people centuries ago. 

Another result of the use of the printing press was the standardization of Andalusi Arabic within the Asmarid Empire. Many printing presses began to use the Iftenic script to rapidly increase the production of books, resulting in its widespread adoption. Additionally, the overwhelming amount of books being generated from the Wadi al-Kabir region (where Qurtuba and Isbili reside) led to the decline of local dialects, especially among the intellectual class. 

Such progress was not unchallenged, however. While many some expected resistance to come primarily from the deposed ex-hajib Tariq, the most fervently opposed to modernity were the usual suspects: Inland Berber tribes who had never truly submitted to the authority of either Sale nor Isbili, and who maintained beliefs closer to the Zahiri madhhab.

===The Rise of Fakhreddin (1544-1547)===
Although the former Hajib Tariq was exiled from Al-Andalus following his disposition, he still maintained a strong power base in the Maghreb, specifically Atlas Mountains which were located far from the local cities. Here, the Berber mountain tribes, who were more conservative and followed the Zahiri madhab, were loyal to Tariq and the Usulid cause. He enjoyed continued support from the local Masmuda warlord Izemrasen ibn Ghanim, who hoped to restore Usulid power as political divides between them and the Ghimarids grew wider over the course of Uthman's tenure. 

However, events unfolded that resulted in a less-than-rosy experience for Tariq. Izemrasen continued to recognize Tariq as the rightful Hajib and refused to recognize or give taxes to the current Hajib, Uthman. He could do little to stop Izemrasen, as he was busy courting angry aristocrats and mollifying opposition for the first two years of his rule. Despite this support, the Usulid cause did not solely center around Tariq, for there were other people that soon rose to become leaders of the movement and they were not loyal to him. His connections to the Masmudas soured relations with conservative Andalusi aristocrats who were well-versed in the history of the Al-Mutahirin and the Blue Army, whose radical traditionalist ideology terrorized the peoples of the Maghreb. Holed up in Aghmat and with no one in Al-Andalus to support him, he sought the support of local aristocrats and merchants in the cities, though they were soundly rejected due to their dependence on maritime trade and were ideologically closer to the Ghimarids. 

Forced to go further inland to find followers and allies, Tariq soon found himself amongst the group known as the Mulatthamin, now known as the Imuaugh people.

The origins of the Imuaugh people are murky, but it is generally agreed that they originated from the Sahel as one of many ethnic groups associated with the Manden Kurufaba, or the Mali Empire. However, Asmarid expansion into the Sahara desert led to increased contact between the numerous tribal confederations of the al-Mulatthamin and the Amazigh/Andalusi people to the north, engaging in the lucrative Trans-Saharan trade, often dealing in salt, gold, and slaves. This period would soon end during the onset of the Crossing, where trade shifted to the coastal cities and away from the Sahara, leading to a decline. However, this did not stop the Imuaugh from retaining their fundamentalist Islamic beliefs.

Pushed north from the river by the Zarmas, many of these Mulatthamin had begun to migrate north, back towards the Maghreb. The most important of these groups was led by a man known as Fakhreddin al-Mahdi.

Emerging from obscure origins, he was born as Ibrahim ag Baloua among a tribe located in Awdaghost. Accounts of his life are sparse and fragmentary, but what is known is that he undertook the Hajj during the 1530s, where he became convinced that he was the Mahdi, a claim backed up by his natural charisma and ability to persuade people to his side. By 1543, now going by the name Fakhreddin - "Pride of the Religion" - he had built up a large base of followers on his way north, where his men had occupied the long-declined ruins of Sijilmasa and made nuisances of themselves on the sparsely-trafficked overland trade routes the city once straddled. Followers of Fakhreddin had begun to filter into towns and villages in the Maghreb, preaching the emergence of the Mahdi.

It was at this time that Tariq and Izemrasen first made contact with Fakhreddin. He believed he could use Fakhreddin and use his followers for his own ends. While both Tariq and Fakhreddin were conservatives and thus Usulids, Fakhreddin took a much more radical and puritanical approach to Usulid ideology, deeming Asmarid society as thoroughly corrupted and believed in an Islam that completely rejected naturalism, outside cultures, and innovations of any kind. His theology was highly Zahiri-influenced, entailing not only a rejection of innovation and of empirical deduction as a means of determining truth, but going even further and envisioning the existence of large dhimmi communities as unfit for a Caliphate. The emergence of the Majlis ash-Shura was also seen as an unacceptable innovation that perverted Islam.

When Fakhreddin and his allies made their way to Aghmat in 1544, it seemed that an alliance between Tariq and Fakhreddin was nigh. However, those plans were completely overturned by Fakhreddin preaching to the entire city, with his speeches so passionate and heartfelt that many of Izemrasen's men swore fealty to him as the Mahdi. Soon, this coalesced into something that came to be known as the Mahdi Army. Tariq and Izemrasen were forced to hole up inside their mountain fortress in the village of Zerkten as the army left to raid the wealthy trade ports of Asfi and Anfa, full of expensive goods from Asmarid colonies. This would've been a minor problem for the Asmarids, but the raid and eventual sacking of Suwayrah in 1545 changed that.

Suwayrah was a modest port before the Crossing, but was soon elevated into a large trade port over time, with a prosperous seaside community. The town was completely unprepared for a band of armed military men who followed Fakhreddin on horseback. Contemporary accounts recount his slaughter of the town's inhabitants, burning ships at anchor, and destroying entire buildings in his wake. The town's Golahi Jewish community was especially hit hard, with many massacred under false charges and others forced to flee. Christians and even Muslims were also not safe from Fakhreddin's wrath, with many beaten, killed, and abused by the Mahdi's men, causing the Asmarid government to notice his activities as survivors poured into Isbili. 

Fakhreddin did not stay in Suwayrah for long, retreating inland with a large amount of wealth looted from the town. Hajib Uthman was left reeling from an assassination attempt by a disgruntled scribe when news of the massacre of Suwayrah came in and thus resolved himself to stop the Mahdi from terrorizing more of his citizens.

Uthman moved quickly, sending some of his forces across the Jabal al-Tariq to the Maghreb to deal with Fakhreddin. This proved to be more difficult than he expected, as he managed to quickly evade Uthman's forces when they landed in the spring of 1546. While the Asmarids had the advantage of modern weapons, up-to-date equipment, and manpower, Fakhreddin's cavalry-based army enjoyed extreme mobility in the arid inland regions of the southern Asmarid Maghreb, where the Asmarid troops were challenged to operate for any length of time. Fakhreddin had more than enough horses and camels and more than enough experience operating in the Sahara to make campaigning there second nature. Any time the Asmarids would attempt to close in on him, Fakhreddin could simply melt into the desert and attack their supply lines until they had no choice but to either starve or withdraw.

The army did achieve success in 1547 when a scouting party reported the whereabouts of Tariq in Zerkten, leading to a confrontation where Izemrasen was captured, although Tariq escaped and fled east. Izemrasen would be shipped back to Isbili and imprisoned. The Asmarids would retake Aghmat later that year and replace Izemrasen and the Mahdist occupation government with a regional supporter. Despite these victories, however, Fakhreddin remained at large and as much of a menace as ever, waging a brutal guerilla war against the Asmarid government.

===Further Colonization of the Algarves and the Tirunah Gold Rush (1522 - 1545)===
Even though the Asmarid Empire's wayward colonies in the Algarves faced increased pressure from Christian European powers like France, Angland and Romania during the early 16th century (leading to the loss of colonies like Barshil and Muqmara), there was also a large wave of new colonists into the New World, mainly as a result of natural disasters back home.

In 1522, a large earthquake struck the port of Al-Mariyya, leveling much of the city and damaging buildings as far as Gharnatah. A more serious quake in 1531 killed 20,000 people and left many people homeless as a result of the destruction, which spanned throughout al-Gharb al-Andalus, including Lishbuna. While many buildings would be rebuilt as a result of the Asmarid government's quick response and wealth, many people sought to leave the Old World behind. From the 1520s onwards, there was an increasing trend of settlers from Al-Andalus and the Maghreb into the major colonies of the Algarves: Tirunah, Marayu, and al-Gattas. Tirunah faced an even bigger wave of settlers when gold was discovered in large quantities in the 1530s, sparking a gold rush there.

The effects of the gold rush were massive on the colony, as burgeoning towns like Abourah expanded in size. By 1542, new towns like Wadabidah began to prop up in the gold-rich highlands of the Wadi al-Tirunah. While many of these new arrivals failed to find gold or wealth in the highlands, they did settle within the region, with a few going back to the coastlands or the eastern settlements in Ar-Rakayiz. Eventually, new expeditions found a source of gold within the Rakayiz Bay, in lands drained by the Wadi al-Yaraqi.

Gold mining led to the founding of new settlements such as Qubayah in 1542, Madinat al-Almal (Alamal) in the same year, and Al-Mawlid in 1548. Alamal is particularly notable for its rapid growth and expansion throughout the Gold Rush, though many prospectors often failed to find any notable amount of gold. Instead, they remained as plantation workers, livestock farmers, and traders that provided goods and services to locals and newcomers alike. While gold was the main allure, Tirunah's economy became dependent on agriculture, focusing on both cash crops and subsistence on local livestock to service the local economy. 

The gold boom out of the west proved a boon to the new government in Isbili. With Mahdists haunting the Maghrebi hinterlands and forcing the constant movement of troops, Hajib Uthman put Tiruni gold to good use financing upgrades to both the Asmarid army and navy. On land, the gold would fund an expansion of modern blackpowder arms and good horses, enabling crack Asmarid troops to more rapidly respond to the blandishments of Fakhreddin's Mahdi Army. At sea, the gold would pay for new ships capable of patrolling vital trade routes east and west, critical now more than ever in the face of rising Christian pressure.

==Politics==
===Government===
The Asmarid Empire was a theocratic monarchy centered around the Umayyad Caliph. However, the Caliph only held spiritual authority as the leader of Western Islam, although he did hold some political power, especially when a Hajib cannot be found. The Hajib, or Prime Minister serves as his representative in secular matters to the state, holding near-absolute power over the administration. However, by 1452, Al-Nasr founded the first Majlis of Al-Andalus, an advisory council composed of intellectuals and bureaucrats chosen for merit, regardless of religious affiliation. For example, the Bishop of Salamanca was a close advisor and a Jewish intellectual served as his secretary and closest confidante. 

===Territorial Divisions===
The empire was split into several Wilayah, or "states", spread across the region of Al-Andalus and the Maghreb, as well as their overseas territorial possessions. These Wilayah were mainly controlled by a wali, a governor who administered the state on behalf of the Hajib. They are also paired with a qadi, a judge well versed with Sharia law. These qadi were usually followers of the [[Maliki]] school of jurisprudence. 

After the Cantabrian Wars, the northern Christian kingdoms of Santiago and Navarre were annexed into the Asmarid Empire as Wilayah, although some Basque nobility continued to remain in their holdings due to the surrender of the kingdom after the Battle of Destriana.

'''List of known Wilayah:'''
* [[Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Santiago|Santiago]]
** Wilayah of [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]]
** Wilayah of [[Portugal]]
** Wilayah of [[Gharb Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Mawsat Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Sharq Al-Andalus]]
** Wilayah of [[Catalonia]]
* [[Maghreb]]
* Wilayah of the Atlas Ocean 
** [[Maghurin Islands]]
** [[Liwaril]]
** [[Kaledat Islands]]
** [[Mufajia Islands]]
* Wilayah of [[Cawania]]
* Wilayah of [[Mawana]]
* Wilayah of [[Al-Gattas]]
* Wilayah of [[Burinkan]]
* Wilayah of [[Tirunah]]
* Wilayah of [[Marayu]]

In addition to the different Wilayah, the Asmarids also control several makzans across the globe which serve as major trade ports for Asmarid ships, usually bought  from local city governors. They are mainly concentrated in the Algarves, Africa, and Hindustan. There are also major settlements that have not been organized into Wilayah like [[Shaymakah]], [[Barshil]], [[Al-Mubaraka]], [[Al-Qamar]], the Huastec settlement, the Berber controlled towns in Anawak, and the small islands in the Pearl Sea. They would eventually lose Barshil to the Danish.

==Demographics==
The Asmarid Empire was one of the most diverse empires in the world, only exceeded by the [[Bataid Empire]] and the [[Janggala Kingdom]]. Geographically located at the intersection of both Europe and Africa and a gateway for Algarvians to visit the Old World, it invited merchants, travellers, and migrants from all across the globe. 
===Ethnic Groups===
* [[Andalusi]]
* [[Maghrebi]]
* [[Mozarabs]]
* [[Sephardic Jews]]
* [[Mizrahi Jews]]
* [[Castilians]]
* [[Galicians]]
* [[Leonese]]
* [[Basques]]
* [[Arabs]]
* [[Native Algarvians]]

===Religion===
The majority of people in the Asmarid Empire follow [[Sunni Islam]], although it is more accurate to refer to their religion as [[Western Sunni]], as they follow the Umayyad Caliph instead of Eastern Islam, where they acknowledge the Abbasid Caliph in Constantinople. There are also several Christian sects in the Empire, which are the [[Mozarabic Church|Mozarabs]], who follow the Visigothic Rite, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] in the north of Al-Andalus who follow the Latin Rite, and the [[Anicetianism|Anicetians]] who follow a Christian religion deeply influenced by both Tellian and Islamic practices. Lastly, [[Judaism]] is also prominent, being split into the Sephardic Jews in Al-Andalus and the Mizrahi Jews in the Maghreb.

==Culture==
The Asmarids were known for their high culture and sophistication compared to much of Western Europe. By the 1450s, continued contact with China led to a craze of Chinese goods and an appreciation of culture known as Sinophilia. Items such as porcelain, tea, and silk poured into Al-Andalus in massive quantities. Both women and some men wore silk, although men wearing silk was forbidden in Islamic law. The Empire was also increasingly cosmopolitan, infusing elements from all across the Islamic world, including those who came from the Algarves.

Despite this, they were much more orthodox than their Hizamid predecessors, heavily enforcing accepted practices in Western Islam on art, sculpture, literature, and other forms of culture. One example was the cutting the throats of many fantastical creatures like griffins, rocs, dragons, sea serpents, and etc. to demonstrate that they were not a living creature created by an artist.

==Economy==
Due to the authority of the Umayyad Caliph, the Asmarid hajibs were able to print gold dinars with the Caliph's name, as well as the standard silver dirhams and the copper fals. Trade substiantially increased with the ascension of the Asmarid Empire, due to vastly expanded trade networks across the world, especially with the regions of [[Zhongguo]] and [[Hindustan]], pouring vast amounts of money into the Empire.

==Naturalism==
The Asmarid hajibs continued the patronage of naturalists in its realm, bringing in knowledge from all across the world, especially in Africa, the Algarves, and Sin, becoming the main driver behind the [[Blossoming]]. Implementation of New World crops was fully embraced at this time, drastically improving food security for the realm, leading it to become a major breadbasket in the Mediterranean region. Cordoba and Toledo were major intellectual centers during the Asmarid period, although Isbili grew in prominence as the Asmarid hajibs invested in new madrasas, bimaristans, and other institutions. 
[[Category:Al-Andalus]][[Category:States in Europe]][[Category:States in Africa]]</text>
    <sha1>439bcb0aae020aaf09a85e94931d6c87aa4643a2</sha1>
  </revision>
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<page arvcontinue="20220414031325|251">
  <title>Wu dynasty</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>28</id>
  <revision>
    <id>252</id>
    <parentid>123</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-06-01T20:41:56Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* History */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1647" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:WuDynastyMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Wu dynasty&lt;br&gt;and its tributaries by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Wu dynasty''' was the ruling dynasty of [[Zhongguo]] from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
===Nara Tailan's Expedition==

==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>b2393ab6eee8d9d3835316ad7c2e2d9eae83bf05</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>253</id>
    <parentid>252</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-06-01T20:42:06Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* =Nara Tailan's Expedition */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1648" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:WuDynastyMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Wu dynasty&lt;br&gt;and its tributaries by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Wu dynasty''' was the ruling dynasty of [[Zhongguo]] from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
===Nara Tailan's Expedition===

==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>24b105b24abee0c5c883157c678b4b3bfae85ade</sha1>
  </revision>
  <revision>
    <id>254</id>
    <parentid>253</parentid>
    <timestamp>2022-06-01T20:42:25Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="1658" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Great Wu &lt;br&gt; 大吳
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 1387 - Present
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | [[image:WuDynastyMap.png|center|250px]]''Map of the Wu dynasty&lt;br&gt;and its tributaries by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| Suzhou
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| Mandarin • Khitan • Jurchen • Tatar • Uyghur
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Confucianism • Buddhism • Nestorianism • Islam
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Absolute Monarchy
'''Emperor:'''&lt;br&gt;
* Qingzu (First)
* Dizong 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Ascension of Ru Wenjun &lt;small&gt;1387&lt;/small&gt;
* Destruction of the Neo-Khitans &lt;small&gt;1453&lt;/small&gt;
* Subjugation of Qocho &lt;small&gt;1482&lt;/small&gt;
|-
! align="left" | Currency 
| Paper money and others
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[Song dynasty]]
* [[Hei dynasty]]
* [[Kingdom of Qocho]]
* [[Dai Viet]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}
The '''Wu dynasty''' was the ruling dynasty of [[Zhongguo]] from 1387 to [], following the ascension of Ru Wenjun, known as the Qingzu Emperor from the declining [[Song dynasty]]. 

==History==
===Nara Tailan's Expedition===

==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===
==Culture==
==Economy==
==Naturalism==
[[Category:States in Asia]]</text>
    <sha1>1c127cb43dd96d455ea389182ecacc16ce5d28f8</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20220414031325|251">
  <title>Holy Roman Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>32</id>
  <revision>
    <id>300</id>
    <parentid>182</parentid>
    <timestamp>2023-11-16T00:55:45Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* History */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="2356" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:HolyRomanEmpireFlag.png|center|175px]] Flag
| align="center" | [[Image:HRECoatofArms.png|center|125px]]Coat of Arms&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;House of Geroldseck&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
* [[Kingdom of Arles]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
===Overview===
===Ascension of Otto III (983)===
===The Lateran Wars (1083-1100)===
===The Tripartite Schism and the Council of Imola (1450s-1470)===
===War of the Red Comet (1541-1555)===

==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>c63e72b4c675e93276be9069d93ea3b41f60a08e</sha1>
  </revision>
</page>
<page arvcontinue="20231124115723|301">
  <title>Holy Roman Empire</title>
  <ns>0</ns>
  <id>32</id>
  <revision>
    <id>301</id>
    <parentid>300</parentid>
    <timestamp>2023-11-24T11:57:23Z</timestamp>
    <contributor>
      <username>Denliner</username>
      <id>3</id>
    </contributor>
    <comment>/* Overview */</comment>
    <model>wikitext</model>
    <format>text/x-wiki</format>
    <text bytes="3515" xml:space="preserve">{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25em; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110; border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="font-size: 120%;" align="center" colspan="2" | Holy Roman Empire &lt;br&gt; Sacrum Imperium Romanum &lt;br&gt; Heiliges Römisches Reich
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | 802/962 - Present
|-
| align="center" | [[Image:HolyRomanEmpireFlag.png|center|175px]] Flag
| align="center" | [[Image:HRECoatofArms.png|center|125px]]Coat of Arms&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;House of Geroldseck&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" border="1" | ''Map of the Holy Roman Empire by 1482''
|-
! align="left" | Capital
| None
|-
! align="left"  | Common Languages
| German • Latin
|-
! align="left" | Religion
| Roman Catholicism
|-
! align ="left" | Government
| Confederal Elective Monarchy&lt;br&gt;
'''Emperor (Kaiser):'''&lt;br&gt;
* Charlemagne/Otto I (first)
* Otto III
* Adolph 
|-
! align ="left" | Historical Era:&lt;br&gt;&lt;small&gt;Late Middle Period&lt;br&gt;to&lt;br&gt;Early Modern Period&lt;/small&gt;
|
* Charlemagne is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;800&lt;/small&gt;
* Otto I is crowned as Emperor &lt;small&gt;962&lt;/small&gt;
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | '''Preceded by'''
* [[East Francia]]
* [[Kingdom of Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]
* [[Kingdom of Arles]]
|-
| colspan="2"  align="left" | '''Succeeded by'''
|}

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' was a multi-ethnic complex of territories centered around Western and Central Europe from 800/962 to []. Born from the crowning of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor by the Pope in the 800s and later Otto I in 962, it was centered around the concept of ''translatio imperii'', where the newly crowned Emperor received authority from the Roman Emperors of old. While it was initially an absolute monarchy centered around the Emperor, over time it devolved into an elective system consisting of elector states as well as numerous independent bishoprics, free cities, small duchies, and other polities within the Empire. 

==History==
===Overview===
Following the split between West Francia, Lotharingia, and East Francia in the wake of Charlemagne's death and the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the Kingdom of East Francia established territorial disputes with other post-Carolingian kingdoms, absorbing much of Lotharingia's territory along with West Francia in 869. Eventually, the Carolingian dynasty fell out of favor with the German nobles and sought to elect one of their own as King of East Francia: Conrad I. However, he proved unable to consolidate his power among the nobility and faced numerous rebellions throughout his reign. Conrad soon passed kingship to Duke Henry of Saxony, who faced similar problems subjugating the other dukes vying for power in East Francia. Henry's efforts would soon be rewarded when his son, Otto the Great ascended to the throne, and by using political marriages to strip power away from the dukes, he effectively centralized power to himself. 

After the conquest of the Kingdom of Italy in 961, he followed the example of Charlemagne and was crowned "Emperor of the Romans" by Pope John XII, creating what we now know as the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottonian dynasty.

===Ascension of Otto III (983)===
===The Lateran Wars (1083-1100)===
===The Tripartite Schism and the Council of Imola (1450s-1470)===
===War of the Red Comet (1541-1555)===

==Politics==
===Government===
===Territorial Divisions===
==Demographics==
===Ethnic Groups===
===Religion===

[[Category:States in Europe]]</text>
    <sha1>97a113e1b6d14a705eeb6a1e4675eab5e7267f75</sha1>
  </revision>
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